All I Really Wanna Be is Your Boyfriend
by DisneyMinnie
Summary: Val's looking for a boyfriend. Parker sees that. Give it time, you know he's gonna be that. Requested by kaydeeshay. Contains references to kaydeeshay's "Accepted a Rooney." Song fic of BTR's "Boyfriend" ParkerXVal. Chapter 23 published. Complete.
1. Chapter 1: Slump-a-Wishart

_Hey everyone! I'm back with another Pal story! I had this random idea so I asked kaydeeshay if I could use part of her story in my story and she agreed so here it is! I admit that that part of the story wouldn't appear for a few chapters so sit back, relax, and read this new story!_

 _It's also midterm season so I'm not sure how much I'm going to update but I'm hoping to finish writing the story by this weekend and finish publishing the story by next week, but I can't make any guarentees._

 _Anyways, here is more Pal because they are so adorable! I can't wait for tomorrow for "Voice-a-Rooney"! #TeamPal_

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Slump-a-Wishart (Tuesday/Wednesday)**

Val's been in a slump all day and no one knows why. It's Valentine's Day and all of her friends are in a relationship. Val was sitting by herself in the cafeteria during lunch, slowly eating her ham and cheese sandwich. "Val, you've been acting all quiet today. What's wrong?" Val looked at her best friend, Jessica, and continued eating her sandwich. Jessica's boyfriend of 3 weeks had his arm around her, talking to all his friends. Val knew exactly what was wrong, she just didn't want anyone to know how desperate she was. Jessica shrugged Val's quietness as it was just her time of the month and she didn't want to talk about it. She continued to talk to Melody, another one of Val's girl friends, about their after school plans with their respective boyfriends.

Parker noticed her unusual behavior. He had liked Val for some time now but she probably thought of him as "just a friend." They've spent an awful lot of time together, working on projects and talking and the like. He saw her sitting with all her girl friends but not talking to anyone. Usually, she would be in deep conversation about probably something girly but today, she wasn't. Instead, she was quietly eating her sandwich. He was about to walk up to her when the bell rung to go back to class. She quickly gathered her lunchbox, slugged her backpack over her shoulder, and made her way out of the lunch room without a single word.

The following morning, Jessica found Val at her locker, putting her books away, and decided to sneak up on her. She couldn't wait to tell her best friend all about the date she went on with Tyler, her boyfriend. 'Val!" The girl whom was referred jumped up in shock and gave out a small scream.

"Oh my gosh, Jess! Don't do that! You know I don't like when people do that!"

"I know! I wanted to do it anyway!" Val rolled her eyes. "Anyways, I wanted to tell you all about last night!"

"What about last night?" Val closed her locker door and leaned up against it. "All I did was do Chemistry homework and watched a documentary on evolution with my dad."

"I'm not talking about about what you did. I'm talking about what I did." Val rolled her eyes. _Here we go again,_ she thought. Jessica took this as a sign to start her story. "Well, after school yesterday, Tyler picked me up in his black Chevy and we went to the beach! It was so romantic! He had a tent, candles, and a picnic dinner with all of my favorites! You should have seen it, Val. It was like a dream come true." And Val could imagine it too, if only she had someone to spend it with. That was the problem. Being a junior in high school, Val had never had a boyfriend. She had never had a crush, that is, until she met Parker Rooney. At first, she tried denying the feelings but she knew that it wouldn't last long. Eventually, she learned to accept it but never told anyone of her little crush. She secretly wanted Parker Rooney to be her boyfriend. Little did she know, Parker was feeling the same thing.

He had liked Val for a while. At first, he thought the feelings were nothing special. As he got to know Val more and more, he knew that she was something special. Parker is Val's closest guy friend and Val would go to him after any girl friend drama or to just hang out and talk. After their constant talks after school, during the weekends, and sometimes late at night, Parker had developed a feeling for Val that only his heart could define and make out, and he chose to accept it. He liked Valerie Wishart, but that would be wrong because crushing on your best friend is just wrong. So why did it feel like it was meant to be?

* * *

 _Well, how did I do so far? Like it? Pal shippers unite!_


	2. Chapter 2: Should I Tell Her?

_I'm kind of back-ish. I tried writing more over the weekend but couldn't write as much as I would have hoped because I started another Pal story based on "Voice a Rooney." I am still writing this one along with 3 Big Time Rush, 1 Pal, and 1 Ryelsi. Also, this week is midterms and I'm kind of drowned in work at the moment but I will do my best to write and update as much as I can._

 _In the meantime, here's the next chapter! Sorry you guys had to wait 3 whole days. It's also the first day of Spring! Bring on the allergies!_

 _Disclaimer: I don't own anything._

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Should I Tell Her? (Wednesday)**

It's been 2 days since they last talked and Parker desperately wanted to talk to her. Not only did he want an update on everything, he wanted to ask her about her strange behavior at lunch only a few days prior. It wasn't like Val to avoid conversation and not talk to anyone the entire lunch period. He even noticed Finch tried to make conversation with her but she chose to ignore him. Finch took it as the cafeteria getting really loud so he kept quiet for the remaining of the lunch period.

Jessica and Melody called an emergency girl meeting after school that day. They had both noticed Val's unusual behavior during Calculus and decided to approach their friend on the topic. "So what's up?" Val asked as she walked up to Melody's locker after school. Both Jessica and Melody looked at each other, curious to see where everything lead.

"Should I tell her or do you want to?" Jessica spoke up.

"Tell me what?"

"You can if you want to." Melody offered.

"Tell me what?!" Val was getting impatient.

Jessica took a deep breath. "We need to ask you something very important right now." Val looked at her, then at Melody, then back at Jessica. "On Tuesday, you didn't talk to anyone. When I asked if you were okay during lunch, you just continued eating so I figured nothing bad happened and went on with my usual business."

Melody nodded and added, "And in Calculus today, you were really quiet. You didn't participate at all and we all know how much you participate in Calculus." Val gave a small chuckle. She had to admit. She loved Calculus. There was something about it that challenged her intellectually and invited her to ask questions. There was always a constant battle between Chemistry and Calculus as Val's favorite class ever.

"So we both want to know what's going on."

Val gave out a huge sigh and clutched her Chemistry textbook closer to her chest. They would find out sooner or later. "Do you guys know what Tuesday was?"

Both Melody and Jessica said "Valentine's Day" simultaneously, as it was the most obvious thing ever.

"Exactly. That was kind of the whole reason why I wasn't myself that day. With you," Val gestured to Jessica, "having Tyler and you," gesturing to Melody, "having Kyle, I don't know. I felt like the odd one out, not having a boyfriend to spend Valentine's Day with."

"So what you're saying is that you want a boyfriend now?" This was news to Melody because Val had never shown prior interest in love. She was always one of those people who put their work first and relationships second.

"Kind of. Ugh. I don't know." Val threw her head back. She just kind of admitted her feelings toward her best friends. She had nowhere else to go and there was no way of turning back now. All she could do was pray and hope that he would be her boyfriend someday, but that was a secret that she's not ready to tell anyone.

"Well, we promise we won't tell anyone. It'll be our little secret." Jessica assured Val as she brought her right index finger to her lips. Val gave both of her best friends a knowingly smile because they are exactly like that. They don't spill each other's secrets to anyone else unless it was utterly necessary and the person whose secret it was gave permission to spill the secret. They had been friends since grade school and Val still kept the secret of Melody's summer camp crush for 7 years.

Parker came up to Val as they were walking home together, like always. "Hey Val." He heard the entire conversation.

Val turned around. She hoped he didn't hear their conversation. Those butterflies you would get when you're around your crush came back. She forced a smile. "Oh hey Parker." Her voice sounded nervous, which didn't go unnoticed by Melody and Jessica, who gave each other knowingly glances.

"Ready to go?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." She forced a second smile. "See you two tomorrow." She turned to leave to go home, with Parker.

"Bye Val"

"So how was your day? I felt like we haven't seen each other in a while"

"Parker, we literally just saw each other, like, 2 hours ago"

"That's longer than I would've liked it"

Val sighed. She loved spending time with Parker. They would have endless conversations on everything and anything, just not their love lives. They tried to stay away from the topic as it brought nervousness and awkwardness to both Val and Parker. "Well, apparently according to Jessica and Melody, I was really quiet during Calculus today". Parker was shocked. When it came to math, Val participated, participated, participated. She would go on and on about her constant battle of which subject she liked better, Calculus or Chemistry.

"Really? That is so not like you!"

"I know! I just don't know what's happening to me today." She knew exactly what was going on but her love life was not a topic Parker and Val talked about.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it will pass and you'll be your normal self in no time." He gave her an acknowledging smile and a pat on the back.

"Yeah, I sure hope so too". She lied. She knew it won't go away because she knew exactly what it was and for 4 months, it never went away so she decided to accept it.

The rest of the walk home consisted of Parker telling Val all about how him and Skeeter spent the weekend working on a jet pack so they can fly to space. That's what she always admired about him. After being enemies for weeks, Parker and Skeeter had become the best of friends, hanging out almost every day after school to a point where she kind of felt left out. Parker accepted Skeeter as a friend and that was just plain beautiful.

By the time they got to Val's driveway, it was already 4:10pm. It doesn't usually take half an hour to walk home but Val was going at a slower pace than usual because she wanted to soak in every moment she had with Parker. It's not like Parker didn't mind. He wanted to spend more time with Val because he had spent so much time with Skeeter recently. He walked her to the door and they embraced in a friendly hug. He wanted to keep her close because he knew she was something special so he kept the hug lasting a little longer than usual.

As they ended their embrace, Parker sparked an idea but wasn't going to give any of it away. Instead, he became face-to-face with Val. "What?"

"Nothing. I'm just excited for next week"

"What's next week?"

"Your birthday, silly!" He gave her a friendly nudge. "The special one-seven"

"Turning seventeen isn't all that special" was the last thing she said before heading into her house.

After she closed the door, Parker thought "wait until you see what I have planned." He put his hands in his pocket and turned to walk to where he lived, Aunt Dena's.

* * *

 _Melody's boyfriend's name is (for some reason) the same name as my second crush I had in elementary school. I got the idea of Skeeter and Parker becoming friends and building jet packs after reading "The Adventures of Parker and Skeeter" by pashotshot1. Jessica is the name of Willow's actress._

 _What do you think Parker has planned? Really. I haven't written that part yet. I want some ideas! Who knows? I might write up you idea._


	3. Chapter 3: Parker's Idea

_It's finally Friday and the last episode of "Liv and Maddie" airs tonight! It actually airs in a few minutes but I don't have access to a TV so I'll watch it sometime later on my computer. I don't want the show to end! #TeamPal_

 _Today, my suitemate couldn't wait for me to upload this chapter so I decided to give it to you guys because it's been quite a few days since I uploaded anything new._

 _I'm currently writing a third part of As Long As I Have You as well as a few other Pal stories, a couple Lomilles, a BTR, and a Ryelsi. I have 2 midterms next week and a midterm that's due in 2 weeks. I'm also helping plan my college's Spring Ball, which is like a prom. It's also prom season and my suitemate's sister's prom is tomorrow! Hopefully it won't rain. It's been raining an awful lot lately._

 _Now I present chapter 3!_

 _Oh! And I don't own anything._

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Parker's Idea (Still Wednesday)**

The walk back home was peaceful. He admired all the homes on Val's street. They were like cute little cottages you would find in a fairytale. He wouldn't normally do this but he knew what he was going to do for Val's birthday. And that feeling in his heart and the pit of his stomach? It was love. Yeah, he knew exactly what he was going to do for Val's birthday. He just needed to make a few phone calls.

It was 4:30pm by the time he walked through the door. "There you are! Where have you been?" Maddie came walking in long strides towards her little brother.

"Umm. At school?"

"Come here!" She grabbed his wrist and lead him in the kitchen, where Liv and Holden were standing on either side of the room, arms crossed and backs to each other. He figured he didn't have to make as many phone calls as he thought.

"What's going on?"

"Liv and Holden got in another fight and won't talk to each other. I want you to bring out your Match-o-Meter thing you made with Val and bring them back together. I don't want them to break up again. You know what it did to both of them back in Steven's Point." She's right. Both of them didn't take it all that well in Wisconsin but he was the one who broke up with her so it was kind of all his fault. The only problem was that the Match-o-Meter was at BOOMS, where they had to turn it in as their project.

"Yeah, I know but I don't have the Match-o-Meter." Maddie glared at Parker. "Besides, when we tested these two lovebirds, their result was True Love." He brought out his notebook from his backpack. He still had the notes from the project. "See, right here." He pointed to where it said "Olivia Rooney and Holden Dippledorf: True Love."

A sudden frown appeared on Maddie's face. "Oh." She sounded disappointed.

"So the best thing that could happen is that these two," Parker pointed to Liv and Holden, "make up and get back together."

"Well, I'm not going to say anything to _him_ until he apologizes," Liv sneered at the Dippledork.

"Oh that's a shame because I was hoping you two could help me out with something having to do with Val." Parker knew that Liv knew that he liked Val and she would do anything in her power to get them together.

As expected, Liv's eyes grew wide. She slowly turned around and untangled her arms, looking at Holden with sad eyes, who had the same idea. He gave her a small smile. They slowly walked towards each other, both looking nervous. As they got an arms-length apart, Holden was the first to speak. "Liv, I'm-" He was interrupted when Liv's arms wrapped around his neck in a tight embrace and her face buried on his shoulder. He managed to hug back, smelling the sweet shampoo in her hair. If there was one thing he missed about Liv, it was how she smelled. He knew it sounded weird but it was one of the things that he knew and loved. When they pulled away, she looked into his eyes and he looked into her eyes. Her arms were still wrapped around his neck and his arms were still wrapped around her waist. They leaned in so their lips touched in a sweet kiss. After 6 seconds, Liv slowly pulled away, still looking into his eyes, those beautiful chocolate eyes. One look from him and she became weak in the knees.

Their moment was interrupted with a rude cough. "Well, I'm glad that you two managed to make up on such short notice but I really need both of your help," Parker gestured to the couple.

"Wait. You don't want my help?" Parker could tell Maddie felt left out.

"I need their help for something involving Val and her birthday"

"Oh, girl stuff. Yeah, go get her." Maddie gave her little brother a light punch in the arm. "Just do one thing."

"And what would that be?"

"Don't let her go because girls like Val only come once in a lifetime." Maddie gave Parker a wink before heading out of the room.

"Anyways, Parker." Holden cleared his throat. "What do you need our help on?"

"Well, you know how you guys taught me how to sing and dance for Show Choir?"

The couple looked at each other. "Yeah?" Liv managed to slip out, not sure where he was going with all this.

"Well, I need you guys to teach me again. I want to perform it for Val on her birthday"

"Oh that's so sweet!" Being the romantic she is, Liv wanted to be a part of anything that involved getting Parker together with his high school crush. "When's her birthday?"

"Next week"

"N-n-next week? Impossible!" Holden threw his hands up in the air, receiving glances from both Liv and Parker. "He can't learn a whole dance routine and the lyrics in one week! It can't be done!"

"Well, Dr P says...'Challenge: Accepted!' I will do anything for this one chance for her. I'll do extra practice. I'll learn the 3 P's of Show Choir. I'll break into song at random moments, if I have to. Just do this for me, for love!" Parker was practically begging for the two to help him. Since when did Parker Rooney beg?

"Parker, this is not Show Choir. This is more...Grand Gesture!" Liv dramatically opened her hands, as if doing jazz hands. She was definitely in. Holden was still hesistent. "Please, Holden. For love?"

"Fine. For love."

"Yay!" She clapped her hands and jumped up and down. "So Parker, what song did you have in mind?"

"Well, I was listening to the radio the other day and this song called _Boyfriend_ came on. I can't remember who the artist is but I think I remember how it goes"

"Alright. How does it go?"

Parker sang what he thought was the chorus. _You're looking for a boyfriend. I see that. Give me time, I'm going to be that._ "Something like that"

"Okay." Holden looked up the song on Google with his phone. "There's a song called _Boyfriend_ by Justin Bieber. Does this sound like it?" He found the music video on YouTube.

 _If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go  
Keep you on my arm girl, you'd never be alone_

"That's definitely not it. It sounded like there was more than one voice."

"Alright. How about this one by Tegan and Sara?" Holden played another one.

 _You treat me like your boyfriend  
And trust me like a like a very best friend_

"Better but they were guy voices, not girl voices."

 _Your boy boy b-b-boy-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-boy-b-b-boyfriend_

"That's it!" Parker stood up.

"So this is by this band called Big Time Rush."

"I've never heard of them. Let me see what they look like." Holden showed Liv a picture of the band. "Oh, they look CUTE!" Holden looked at her. "But not as cute as you." She hid the fact that she started developing a crush on the tall, dirty blonde with his hands in his pockets. She's got to look them up later so she knows who he is. _(If you guys don't know already, the guy she's starting to like is James.)_

"So we know what song it is. Let's look at the music video and see their choreography." Being a dancer himself, Holden was secretly excited to start choreographing for Parker. After watching and studying their choreography, he was satisfied with how simple it was. "Looks simple enough. Let's start practicing."

"I actually have some homework I have to work on for tomorrow. Can we start tomorrow?"

"Works for me". Liv agreed. "Besides, I need to study the new song for the newest episode of _Sing-it-Loudeeeeeeeeeer_ ".

"Then it's settled. Practice starts tomorrow. See you two later." Holden turned to the Rooney siblings before heading out the door.

"Parker! I just had brain-splosion!" The last time she had a brain-splosion was when Parker helped Liv's band make a music video for one of their song. "We should gather a few other guys to help dance. Like how there are 4 guys dancing in the music video, we should have 4 guys perform for Val!"

Parker thought about it for a little and eventually nodded at his sister's idea. "I like it. And I know just the people to help out."

* * *

 _Did I do you justice, kaydeeshay? Another cliff-hanger! Tune in for chapter 4!_


	4. Chapter 4: Getting the Band Together

_Good morning everyone! I have an hour before I have to take a test that I'm not really all that ready for but I don't have much of a choice._

 _I was finally able to watch "End a Rooney" this weekend on YouTube and I was crying my little heart out because it was the end but I couldn't had wished for a better ending. I started working on an "End a Rooney" story last night after I saw Parker called him and Val a "couple", Val "baby", and held her and at the end! Like, kaydeeshay, my fangirl heart is going into overdrive because of how cute they are together and how they are going to be spending a whole year together in Bolivia!_

 _You didn't hear it from me but I think pashotshot1 is planning on writing a story of when Parker is going to propose to Val in the BioDome.. *internal girl squeal*_

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Getting the Band Together (Wednesday night/Thursday)**

"So what do you think?"

Parker's best friend knew how much he liked Val and he couldn't wait to help out. "Sounds like fun! I've always wanted be a part of a boy band so this is kind of like it."

"So we start practicing tomorrow after school at my house."

"Sounds good! See you then Dr P!"

"See you Dr S". Parker smiled at their nicknames and closed his phone. One person down, two to go.

"Hey little bro!" Parker turned his head and smiled at victim 2 he chose to help with his plan. "What are you up to?"

"Just doing some homework but I can spare a few minutes to talk."

"Great!" He sat down on my bed. "I'm so glad that I get to be myself at school now. I felt so much pressure being the cool guy"

"Yeah. I always thought that it wouldn't last". Joey gave him a nod. "Anyway, I want to ask you a huge favor"

"Anything for my baby bro!"

"Well, I don't know if you know or not but I like Val and I was wondering if you could help me with a performance I want to do for her birthday"

"Sure! What do you need?" Parker was shocked at Joey's sudden agreement to his favor. "Oh, and by the way, I always knew that there was something between you guys ever since you asked to the dance last year." The mention of the dance made Parker shiver a little.

"Yeah, so I wanted to do a performance of a song that I heard on the radio one day. Holden will teach the choreography that they used in the music video and I need 2 more people for the performance. So are you in?"

Joey thought about it for a minute. He tapped his chin and looked up to the ceiling as if he was in deep thought. His eyes lit up and managed to get out a "I am so in!" through his excitement.

A smile grew on Parker's face as his older brother wanted to help him get the girl. He did the same thing for Joey in Wisconsin. Now it was Joey's turn. "Great! We start practicing tomorrow after school!"

"I'll be there." And with that, Joey Rooney got up and left Parker to reflect on what was going to happen in the next week. He tried to remain calm but soon, his heart was racing and his palms started to get sweaty. He was getting nervous. To relieve his nervousness, he decided to turn in early and sleep on it, and that is just what he did. After 20 minutes of changing into his spaceship PJs, brushing his teeth, and packing his backpack for the next day, Parker settled into bed and dreamed about dancing, choreography, and Val, his sweet Val.

Parker woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. He no longer was nervous and ready for the day ahead of him. He quickly changed into something he hoped would impress Val, grabbed his backpack from his deck, and sped downstairs, where he was the first one down for breakfast. Typical. He enjoyed the meal that his mom made, versus what Aunt Dena would usually make but she was at some sort of spiritual convention in Vegas and wouldn't be back for another few days. After he finished his orange juice, he got up, grabbed his backpack, and headed out the door to Val's house. You see, each morning, Parker and Val would walk to school together and each afternoon, they would walk home together. Sometimes, they would have other commitments and couldn't do it every afternoon but for the most part, they would walk together every day.

As he walked down Val's street, he couldn't help but admire the houses again. One day, we'll have a house just like these. Parker thought. Normally he wouldn't think about his future like this because every time he thought about his future, it always involved a lab coat and a laboratory. Now, whenever he thinks about his future, he thinks about Val and he couldn't help the butterflies in his stomach every time he saw her. He approached her house in confidence, or at least he tried to.

He knocked on her door and as expected, she opened it with a giant grin on her face. "Hey Parker!"

"Hey Val. Ready for school?"

"Just give me a minute. Let me put my shoes on and grab my backpack. Why don't you come in?" She stepped to the side, inviting him into her house for a few minutes. In the year that they've known each other and grew close, he had never been in her house. Whenever they would hang out, they were always at Parker's. Maybe it was the fact that Val had 3 younger brothers. Maybe it was the fact that her dad frightened him. Just another reason he was afraid of what would happen next week. Adjusting his backpack, he stepped inside the Wishart home.

Once he got inside, he first thing he spotted was the living room. It had two sofas and a love seat, creating a large "L" shape in the corner of the room. He understood because the Wishart family had 7 members: Mr and Mrs Wishart, Violet (the eldest), Val, Victor, Vincent, and Vance (the youngest). ( _I can't tell you how much time I spent researching all the male names that started with "V" to find the perfect name for Val's youngest brother. I used Vincent and Victor in a previous story)_. There was a long coffee table in the middle of the room with a collection of magazines stacked on top of it. Parker assumed they were either Mrs Wishart's or Violet's. On the opposite side of the living room was a giant bookcase that spread about 8 feet wide and almost reached the ceiling.

Next to the living room was the dining room. It looked like a traditional dining room with a long table and about 10 chairs around the table. There was a centerpiece not quite in the middle of it. It looked like some sort of duck but Parker wasn't sure. He didn't have time to really look at it because Val came up to him, ready to go. "Alright! I'm ready! Let's go!" He opened the front door to let her out first. "Thanks!" _He's such a gentleman_ , she thought.

"No problem." _Anything for you_ , he thought. Both were smiling at each other. He closed the door behind him and followed her towards school. Throughout the walk, Parker couldn't help but admire his friend. She was going on and on about how Violet was going on and on her Valentine's Day date with her boyfriend. How he picked her up in a tuxedo at the house. How she dressed up and dolled herself up for 3 hours. How he was a complete gentleman. How they went to a fancy restaurant. How he gave her flowers and chocolate. How they kissed so. many. times. She had a longing in her eyes that he had never seen before. What she was craving, he wouldn't understand because he would never know how much she wanted it. Oh, how she was wrong. So wrong. After she was finished, he was concerned about her well-being so he asked a question that caught her off guard. "Are you okay, Val?"

She turned her head. "Huh? Oh yeah. I'm fine. It's just.." She paused to sigh. "I've liked this guy for a while and he doesn't like me the way I like him. I just don't know what to do. I want what my sister has so badly for some reason. Look at me. I'll be 17 years old next week. No guy has shown any interest in me. I'm afraid of growing old alone with no one to love me. I'm afraid that I won't have a successful future."

He had never seen her like this. She was on the verge of tears. He had never seen her so desperate. Of course, he had listened to her conversation with Jessica and Melody the day before so he kind of already knew what was going on but at the same time, he had no idea. "It's okay, Val. You don't have to decide your future now. What matters is what you do now, in the present."

She gave him a half-smile before embracing him a friendly hug. "Thanks Parker. You're a good friend." Both of them wanted to stay in the position but she backed away before things got awkward between them. Oh, how they both wanted something more but both were afraid the other wouldn't want it too. Oh, how they both were wrong, so wrong. He wanted to kiss her so badly, but that would be wrong.

The rest of the walk was a quiet one. Why did they feel so awkward all of a sudden? They usually would talk about anything and everything. She walked a few feet behind him. His hands were in his pocket and his eyes were admiring all the surrounding buildings on the way to school. Her arms were crossed and her eyes were looking at the ground. Every now and then, he would look back at her but all she would do is overt eye contact and play with her hair, a sign she was nervous, but about what? Valerie Wishart doesn't get nervous so why was she nervous now?

Parker shrugged the thought off and thought it was just one her "off days." She would say that she would have "off days" when she wouldn't be herself and would often daydream and not focus. She had 3 "off days" during the past 2 weeks. Parker noticed the first "off day" and thought it was unusual for Val to not focus. He remembered it well. It was a few months ago, December 3th during History, to be specific.

 _It was December 3rd when he noticed her unusual behavior. They were sitting next to each other in History. U.S. History. Ugh. Even Parker was bored to death. His arm was trying to support his exhausted head on his desk. He zoned out his teacher. They were learning something about some war that wasn't all that interesting. He decided to look around, particularly on his right, where Val sat. Next to him, Val was also bored, which came as surprising to him. Val would usually be the one vigorously writing down notes during the lectures but she was not writing anything down. Instead, her eyes were looking out the window. Being December in LA, it's not hot, it's not freezing cold. That day, it was raining. It had been raining for 3 days. Nothing but rain all week. It made class extra gloomy and Parker hated it. The minute the bell rang, Parker grabbed his things and was out of the classroom, leaving Val still distracted by the rain._

 _Parker found Val sitting by herself at lunch. He took a deep breath and walked up to her. "Hey, Val." No response. "Hey! Val." Nothing. He decided to sit down next to her, in hopes that she would notice him. To his surprise, she didn't see him at first._

 _"Oh, Parker. I didn't see you there." She seemed surprised._

 _"I called your name twice and you didn't respond. Are you okay?"_

 _"Huh? Oh yeah. I'm fine." She rubbed her eyes. "I, uh, didn't get much sleep last night." She lied but Parker would never believe her real reason._

 _"Oh, well…" He didn't know how to respond. "Make sure you get plenty of sleep tonight"_

 _"I'll keep that in mind." Val smiled for the first time that day._

Before he knew it, he was standing in front of BOOMS. Val was still a few steps behind him. He stopped and waited for her. "So, I'll see you later, then." Val walked right past him. Was she mad at him?

Before Parker could think about it any longer, he spotted Finch, his third victim for his special project, at his locker. "Hey Finch!" He waved at his friend.

Finch was hunched over putting some notebooks in his backpack. He looked up. "Oh hey Parker. What brings you here?"

"Um.. School?" Parker said like it was the most obvious thing ever.

Finch gave a chuckle. "I mean, what brings you here, like, as in my locker. What brings you here to my locker?"

"Oh! Thank you for the clarification. Umm. I wanted to ask you a huge favor."

"Sure? It depends…"

"Well, you know that Val's birthday is next week, right?"

"Yup! The big one-seven!"

"Yeah, apparently, she doesn't think it's all that special." The grin that formed on Finch's face formed more of a frown. "But I want to change that."

"What are you saying, Parker?"

"I'm saying that I want to make it so special that she won't forget"

"I still don't quite understand"

Parker put his hands in his pocket. "Well… I don't know if you know but I like Val, a lot, and I wanted to do something special for her birthday"

Finch's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Say no more! I'm in!"

"Really?"

"Sure! I'm pretty sure whatever you have in mind, she'll definitely like!

"Great! We start rehearsals today after school." Parker shouted over his shoulder as he made his way to his first class.

"Wait, what?" No one said anything about rehearsals. Finch was confused but before he could say anything else, Parker was gone. He sighed, closed his locker, picked up his backpack, and headed to his first class.

* * *

 _Chapter 5 will be the first rehearsal so that's something to look forward to._


	5. Chapter 5: First Rehearsal

_Wow, it's been a while since I've updated this story. Sorry guys. Midterms is getting to me but I am almost done. I had 2 tests this week, 1 test last week, and a take-home midterm due next week that I haven't started. After next week, we have a week break where I'll probably write and update more._

 _I am still writing for this story, as it is my main priority to finish this story before continuing to my other stories. I have a habit of trying to finish one thing before starting something else. That hasn't really been working out in terms of my stories because I am currently in the middle of a "Voice a Rooney" story, "End a Rooney" story, Ryelsi story, and this story. I haven't even started my other ideas yet._

 _I started writing down the days in each chapter (you will see the previous chapters now have the days at the top) because I was getting confused on the days and what happened each day. I had to play around with the days because this day was originally going to be Saturday but I realized that they wouldn't go to school on Saturdays because it's the weekend and school normally isn't on Saturdays, unless you're checking on your Mars Madness project only to find out that you spend all day working on a weed killer. I eventually moved around the days and came up with this chapter to be on a Thursday. I apologize for any prior confusion._

 _Note: I own nothing, though I wish I did._

* * *

 **Chapter 5: First Rehearsal (Thursday)**

The day went by surprisingly quickly for Parker. Before he knew it, he was in the family room with Holden, Liv, Joey, and Skeeter. All was left was Finch.

"He's late." Parker looked at his watch. It said 4:02. They were supposed to meet at 4 o'clock.

"Relax, dude. It's only been a couple minutes." Holden still couldn't believe that his girlfriend and his girlfriend's youngest brother persuaded him to do this project but he was doing it for love and that's all the persuading he really needed. You'd think that it was him who was the one who was the most nervous. Of course he was. He had to teach 4 non-dancers in a dance that, to him, was simple in less than a week. Internally, he was freaking out. Like he said, it would be nearly impossible to learn a whole dance routine but Parker was determined so he didn't really have much of a choice.

His thoughts were interrupted with a knock on the door. All eyes looked up. Parker made his way to to front door and opened it. "Sorry guys. I kind of got lost but I'm here. So what's this about rehearsals?"

"Wait, you didn't tell him?" Skeeter was confused.

"I _did_ tell him. I just didn't tell him very much details because before I could continue, it was time to go to class." Parker defended.

"Guys! Might I remind you that we have less than a week for me to teach you guys the choreography, rehearse, and perform it so I suggest that we work together, instead of argue. Besides you," Holden pointed to Parker, "were the one who dragged me into this and I don't have to do this favor but I'm doing it, for love." Everyone's eyes grew wide at the sudden outburst of the Dippledorf

"Holden's right. If we are going to pull this off, we have to work hard together for the next week and not have any arguments". Liv crossed her arms and eyed the high school juniors. Parker and Finch just looked at each other.

"So…" Parker cleared his throat. "We should start rehearsals"

"Yes we should! I'm so excited to be part of a boy band!" All eyes diverged to Skeeter. "What?! I have bigger dreams than being the coolest kid in school, student body president, and King of Space Camp. I can imagine it now. Skeeter Parham: the new Justin Timberlake." He had a look in his eyes that even Parker hadn't seen in his best friend.

"Anyways, we should get started, like right now." Parker's voice got a little high when he said that.

"I agree. So I was studying the music video last night and personally, I think the choreography is pretty simple. We should move the furniture out of the way first." They all agreed. They moved the sofa and chairs to the side of the room and the coffee table up near where the piano was. "Alright. Let's get started. Parker, since you're the one who wanted to do this for Val, you can stand in the front here." Holden moved the scientist from his spot next to Skeeter to the front of the room. "Joey, you could stand right over here." Holden pointed to a spot next to Parker. "Skeeter can be over there." Holden pointed a spot behind Parker. "And Finch can be behind Joey. I'll be up in front to teach you guys the moves. Sound good?" He looked behind him. All 4 guys nodded at the dancer and The Dream's lead guitarist.

"Eee! This is so exciting!" Liv jumped up and down and squealed.

"Okay, so first you guys want to kind of swing like this." Holden demonstrated what he saw in the music video. "Skeeter, swing less like that, and more like this." He demonstrated again. "Joey, what are you doing?"

"I'm swinging!"

"Not that kind of swinging. Think of this like," Holden really thought about something that Joey could understand. He couldn't think of anything. "Try moving to the beat"

"Okay…" Joey was slow at first but as he got into the music, he understood the dancer's definition of _swinging_ as a different definition of what he thought.

"That's it!" Holden was surprised of Joey's fast learning skills.

"Yay! I'm learning!" _(I stole this from Chuck's line in iCarly's "iTwins")_. Now it was Joey's turn to jump up and down and squeal.

"Now that we have the swinging from side to side down, you guys want to use your hands and arms like this," Holden showed the others the move, just like he saw in the music video.

The first rehearsal didn't go as bad as Holden thought. These non-dancers really put in the effort at the end to learn the basic steps he learned in 20 minutes the previous night. They spent a good 1.5 hours learning the choreography and another half hour practicing. By the time they had finished for the day, it was dinner time and by unanimous vote, they all decided to go to Quesadilla Joe's. Luckily, it was Comedy Night at Quesadilla Joe's and Joey was performing one of his many stand-up routines. The group needed a bit of laughter after 2 hours of learning choreography that according to Holden, was "so simple, a raccoon could do it in it's sleep." One could say that their night ended in more laughter.

"Same time tomorrow?"

"Same time tomorrow."

One could say that their first rehearsal didn't end badly but that was only the first rehearsal. The second rehearsal would be more intense.

* * *

 _Chapter 6 will be longer, much longer. We will also start seeing more PAL in chapter 6 so beware!_


	6. Chapter 6: Second Rehearsal

_Happy Monday everyone! I'm still writing this story but I finished this chapter on Saturday so I decided to give it to you guys. This story will, more likely than not, be my longest story yet, even longer than my 7-chapter Lomille story. So far, it's 8 chapters and 26 pages on my Google Doc and I haven't even written Val's birthday! Yeah, it's my longest story so far._

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Cimorelli's "Up At Night" or that one line from "Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea" (and I'm pretty sure that you guys know the line because it's my favorite line in the whole movie) so please don't beg me to give you the rights because I don't have the rights._

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Second Rehearsal (Friday)**

The second rehearsal, let's say, wasn't the best. There were several times when Holden was frustrated with the clumsiness of the 4 non-dancers. Finch tripped over his own feet when spinning. Skeeter fell on the floor before someone pointed out that his shoelaces were untied. Joey kept goofing around. The only one who didn't have a mishap was Parker, which made sense since he was the one who needed to be the most focused because he had 5 days to learn the routine, rehearse it, and perform it in front of his crush on her birthday. He was getting nerve racking and he tried his best to not let his nerves get the best of him. Everyone should know that he doesn't do too well under pressure. There had been a couple times when he had to go to his room to calm down. That's when Liv stepped in.

"Guys! Parker is doing this for Val so the least you guys can do is to try harder. You guys are the closest to Parker so you need to trust him. Over this last year, Parker grew closer and closer to you guys and you guys have the privilege of helping him get the girl he likes so much. Joey, wasn't it Parker's idea to gather everyone up so you can have a high school relationship with Willow in 5 minutes?" The guy in question nodded before looking at his feet. "Finch, wasn't it Parker who helped you study for so many tests that you were struggling for?" He smiled at all the times Parker would stay those late nights at his house just to let him know that he understood the material. "Skeeter, wasn't it Parker who would be the last person to be your friend, and now look at you two! You two are closer than ever! And Holden," the dancer looked up at his girlfriend, "wasn't it Parker who brought us back together because of one of his inventions?" He gave a small laugh at the memory. "You see, Parker has had a major impact on all of our lives, myself included. The least you guys can do is help him get him and Val together."

Skeeter stepped forward. "As crazy as its sounds, Liv's right. Parker changed me ever since we first met. I promise to try harder in rehearsals."

"Me too." Joey joined them.

"Same here." Finch agreed.

"Thank you. Now, let's get back to work." For an hour, Holden continued teaching the 3 remaining "dancers" the rest of the choreography with little trouble. Thanks to Liv's pep talk, they were all able to focus for Parker's sake. Unfortunately, Parker still hadn't come down from his room and Liv was starting to get worried. "I'll go check on him." With that she ran up to Parker's room. She ran back down in 10 seconds. "He's gone." All four guys looked up at the blonde, all wide eyed.

"That's impossible. He can't be gone." Holden couldn't believe what his girlfriend just told them.

"With Dr P, anything is possible." Skeeter stated.

Liv ran back downstairs, and started pacing the floor, trying to keep herself calm. "Okay, umm. In situations like these, we have to REMAIN CALM!" She started hyperventilating. None of the guys had seen her like this, with the exception of Joey.

"Babe, calm down. You're the one who's freaking out." Holden tried his best to calm her down.

"I'M PERFECTLY CALM!"

"No, you're not. Just take a few deep breaths." Skeeter instructed Liv. "Maybe we all need a breather"

"I agree. Take a break guys." Holden agreed. Joey headed outside into the backyard with Skeeter and Finch right behind him. Holden stayed inside with Liv, who was still freaking out.

I bet you're wondering where Parker went. After leaving rehearsal for his room due to his frustration, he stayed in his room for about 10 minutes, trying to clear his head. When it didn't help, he went out of his room and sneaked into Aunt Dena's room, the only room with a balcony. Once he got into his aunt's room, he went over onto the balcony to take a few minutes to cool down. He closed his eyes to clear his head. All thoughts escaped his mind except his thoughts of Val, his sweet Val. A smile grew on his face at the thought of her. He imagined her on her birthday. He was performing the song for her but he wasn't with the guys. It was just him and Val. She was in a fancy ball gown and he was in a nice tuxedo. She looked like a princess and he looked like a prince. After he performed the song for her, she stood up, walked over to him, and kissed him. They danced the night away afterwards.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Liv shout "I'M PERFECTLY CALM!" She is totally calm right now. Parker wondered what made her like this. He shrugged. He needed to escape. He climbed over the balcony banister, over to the tree that hung over the balcony, and down the tree until his feet landed on the soft grass. He dug his hands into his pockets and began walking along the coast of Malibu because walking clears the head. _(This is a reference to "Big Time Decision" after Katie helps Kendall decide between Lucy and Jo)._

Meanwhile, Liv was pacing back and forth on the floor, Holden had his head in his hands and sitting in the sofa, and Joey, Skeeter, and Finch were in the backyard taking turns jumping on the trampoline. "Where could he be? He never leaves without telling anyone where he's going". Liv was still freaking out. Parker was her little brother and he could get hurt, wherever he was.

"I'm sure he's fine. Why don't we continue practicing?" Holden suggested. "We aren't getting anywhere just sitting here, waiting for Parker to get back". He was right. They weren't so he stood up and went into the backyard to call the other guys to continue practicing. Within minutes, the 3 boys were inside and Liv was still worried about the whereabouts of Parker.

Parker found his way to Val's street. He wandered past the houses he admired only a few days prior. When he got in front of Val's house, he stopped. He hesitated and thought about knocking on the door. He took a deep breath and walked up to the front door to knock on it. He really needed to get away from the frustrations that were happening at home at the moment. Lucky for him, Val was the one who opened the door.

"Hey Parker! What brings you here?"

"I needed a break from homework so I took a walk. I was walking by your street and thought that you might need a break too." He wasn't going to tell her the real reason he was there.

"Umm. Sure. I've been working for a few hours and a walk would be nice." She stepped outside and closed the door behind her, a smile plastered on her face. "Where are we walking to?"

"Wherever the road leads us."

"So an adventure and a mystery. Nice change. Change is good."

"I agree. We've been cooped up in our rooms all afternoon. It's time for a change in scenery." Val just smiled at her friend and his attempt to be funny. It works sometimes and other times, it doesn't. This time, it worked a little bit.

They walked in silence for a while, enjoying the beautiful Spring afternoon. The warm breeze gently blew through Val's hair and the sun shone brightly over them. Parker couldn't help but think that Val looked like some sort of goddess. In his dreams, she was. She was also an angel, princess, and his girlfriend. The last part made him think of all the chaos that was happening back at home. He shuddered a little bit at the thought. Good thing Val was distracted by sounds of nature.

They got to a park that was surrounded by trees and green grass. They spotted a bench somewhere off to the side of the park and decided to sit down on it. Val closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of nature again. Off in the distance, she could hear the sounds of children laughing, birds chirping, and leaves rustling in the wind. Parker tried to do the same but all he could think about was Val. "It's so peaceful out here." Val broke their silence, her eyes still closed. She gave a heavy sign. "I could say here forever."

"Me to." His eyes were gazing over to where Val sat. She looked so beautiful with the wind blowing through her hair and the sun giving her an angelic glow. He hesitated before he reached out his hand to grab hers. She seemed to not resist at his sudden urge to hold her hand. She only deepened the moment by laying her head on his shoulder, which he didn't give protest to. They interlaced their fingers and both of them didn't want the moment to end. He watched as dog walkers and kids on skateboards passed them. They must have been there for an hour before it started getting dark. It was just the two of them, sitting on a bench in the park, holding hands, on a late Friday afternoon.

The sun was starting to set when he realized that Val must have fallen asleep on his shoulder in the hour that they'd been like that. Her feet were no longer draped over the bench, rather her feet were resting on the bench, and she had curled up next to him. He looked down to see that they were still holding hands, she just wasn't gripping his hand very hard. With his free hand, he gently shook her shoulder. "Val? Wake up." She stirred in her sleep.

"Mmm. 5 more minutes." Then she let go of his hand only to get more comfortable by wrapping her arms around Parker.

Parker didn't want to wake her up because she looked so peaceful, so beautiful, but it was dinnertime and they'd been out for a while. He tried shaking her again, only a little harder this time. She slowly opened her eyes, noticing the position that they were in and quickly removed her arms from Parker's body, draped her legs over the bench, and scooted a few scoots from Parker. She tucked some stray hairs behind her ear before looking up at Parker. "Sleep well?"

"Umm… Yeah. Pretty well. I haven't been able to sleep very much lately." Might she remind herself what was keeping her up at night? Then, a song started playing in her head. _When I close my eyes, all I see is me right there in his front seat. His headlights pouring down my street. I try to forget, but I can't lie. His words keep me up at night. If it's 4:30 and I can't sleep, you don't have to guess what's keeping me up at night, what's keeping me up at night._

They sat there in silence. Both of them had a sudden interest in their shoes. "So," Val looked up, "your birthday. What do you want?"

Val sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. There are lots of things I want." She started counting the things she wanted on her fingers. "I want to become a successful scientist, be Queen of Mars, save all endangered animals, go to CalTech..." and murmured a "you as my boyfriend" under her breath, not quite loud enough for Parker to hear.

"What was that last one? I didn't quite get it"

"Nothing," she quickly replied and looked into the night. He followed her gaze and suggested that they'd go back home, offering his hand. She nodded and took his hand. They walked out of the park without another word.

When they got back to her house, their hands were still in each others. She looked at him before embracing him in a tight hug. She whispered, "thank you for taking a break," in his ear.

"Any time," he whispered back before pulling back to look at her. She gave him a smile before going back in her house. Before she closed the door, she waved at him and he waved back. Once she was safely inside, he turned around and headed back in the direction of Aunt Dena's house. "Time to face reality." He took a deep breath and walked back to the house, knowing the trouble he'd be in.

* * *

 _So did you guys find that one line I love from "Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea"? I wanted to include some PAL fluff because I'm a hopeless romantic and I want them to get together SO BADLY! Why couldn't Season 4 have more PAL moments? Au revoir!_


	7. Chapter 7:Never Had Such Devoted Sisters

_Yay! I'm officially finished with midterms! I spent about 6 hours working on a take-home midterm that was due today. I spent an hour on Sunday, 2 hours last night, and 3 hours this morning. I was VERY productive. Last minute procrastination at it's finest. It's my specialty._

 _Speaking of which, I'm still writing this story! I'll hopefully finish the story this weekend. I'm almost done. I have about 2 or 3 chapters left to write. I finished writing chapter 8 last night so that chapter might be up Saturday, I don't know yet._

 _Tomorrow is the start of my spring break (though my college calls it the "Easter Break" and the "Spring Break" was in February before the Spring semester so I don't know what that's about) and I will definitely write and update as much as I can, though I admit that I do (in fact) have homework over the break. Boo._

 _I bet you know who's in this chapter based on the title. Anyone know where I got the title from? Here's a hint. It's from one of my favorite HOLIDAY films. Now you know what it is?_

 _Here's chapter 7 and I don't own anything besides Violet and the little devil that's Victor._

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Never Had Such Devoted Sisters (still Friday)**

Parker got back to the house and all the lights were off. He was about to turn them on when someone turned them on for him. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick!"

"I was feeling overwhelmed so I took a walk"

"For two hours?" Liv didn't like the sound of it all. She crossed her arms.

"Yeah? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because the guys spent a whole hour and a half practicing the dance without you. We thought you were still in your room for the first hour but when I checked on you, you weren't there. How did you even get out of the house without anyone seeing you?"

"I climbed down Aunt Dena's balcony, duh!"

"Parker, I'm serious. We were all worried about you. You _never_ leave without telling anyone where you're going or when you'll be back"

"Sorry." He held up his hands in defeat. "I just needed to clear my mind and get away from the chaos that was happening." Liv nodded in understanding. She remembered 2 guys in one of her movies she did were fighting for her affection off-screen, but she eventually fell for Miller White but things ended between them, and she's with Holden now and she couldn't be happier.

"Well, the guys finished practicing and got the choreography down."

"So fast?"

"Yeah. I gave them a little talk after you went upstairs and they all agreed to do better."

"Wow. I don't know what to say." He paused before hugging his sister. "Thanks Liv. I don't know what I would do without you."

"You'd still be contemplating whether you meant you asked her to the dance or the science thing." Parker chuckled at the memory. She was right. She was the one who sort of "forced" him into liking Val. But that was a year ago, and he still wasn't 100% sure of his feelings for the long-haired brunette. They were good for each other. Both very competitive. Both were very good (in fact they were spectacular) in science. They were always put together for assignments and projects that involved a partner. He wasn't quite sure if she returned the feelings he had for her.

The two siblings stood there for a few minutes in silence, waiting for the other to break it. When they realized that neither of them was going to talk, Parker spoke up. "Um. I should, uh, do some homework before dinner." He pointed upstairs before heading to his room.

"Yeah. You do that."

Meanwhile, Val had just came back from her - what was it? Was it a date? An outing? It was a walk. But what happened at the park? Let's call it a walk - walk with Parker and Violet was waiting for her in the living room. "That was a long walk you two took." Val jumped back in surprise. Her sister had been there when Parker suggested the walk. In fact, she was in the same position she had been when Val left the house. Had she not move since? Was she waiting for her arrival?

"Vi! Don't scare me like that! You know I don't like that"

"Sorry," Violet gave an embarrassed look. "Anyways, I want to hear all the details!"

"What details?"

"You know… About your time with _Parker_!" Violet teased Val on her high school crush.

"Stop it. There's nothing to tell. We walked. We talked. That's it." She decided to leave out the part where she fell asleep on Parker at the park bench, while holding his hand because she knew exactly how Violet would react.

"That's it? Nothing else?"

"Nothing else." Val assured Violet that they only walked and talked, but she knew all too well it was a straight up lie.

"Oh. Then that's unfortunate." Violet looked down at the floor. After a few silent moments, she looked up. "When are you going tell him?"

Val bit her lip and looked away, trying to find an answer to the question. She sighed. "I don't even know if he likes me the way I like him."

Violet chucked. "You're joking, right?" Val gave her a funny look. "Of course he likes you! Why do you think he would come over to our house to say that he was taking a walk and he just so happened to be walking down our street? He took you to that dance last year, remember? You guys do absolutely almost everything together! You guys even walk to and from school each day! You two are basically made for each other!"

It took Val a minute to soak in everything her older sister just said about her and Parker. She finally softly spoke, "You really think all that, Vi?

"Umm… Yeah. I don't see a reason for you two to not get together. I mean, I ship Pal."

Val laughed a little bit of hers and Parker's mash-up name that he created that one day that they were stuck in the Chemistry Lab because he set the thermostat to 42 degrees Celsius. She'll never forget that day. How could she? She almost lost any chance of being Queen of Mars. "Thanks." She smiled at the ground.

The two stood in silence before Val broke it. "Umm… I should go back to my homework I was working on earlier before dinner." Violet only nodded her head as she watched her sister go back to her room. Once she was safely in her room, Violet took out her phone and texted the one person she knew that could help her get her sister and her brother together.

 _Now we HAVE to get them together. It KILLS me to see them going by each day without calling themselves a couple._ Liv smiled at the text. She, too, knew of the feelings the high schoolers had for each other, though neither would really admit it, which made things a whole lot more complicated. She sent out a quick reply before going back to eating her dinner.

 _I know. Don't worry. We'll have nothing to worry about after next week. Parker's got something special going on for her birthday._

 _Sounds great!_ Violet couldn't wait. Whatever Parker had planned, it was sure going to work, no matter what it took. She could hardly contain herself before Victor caught her dancing in the hallway. He gave her a weird look before going into the living room to play video games.

* * *

 _Aaaaaaand that was chapter 7, ladies and gentlemen. Now I need to continue my math homework. Gotta love Geometry!_

 _Did you catch my "Skate a Rooney", "Stand up a Rooney", and "Ex a Rooney" references? And Mr Mew01, Violet and Liv somehow know each other. This is a different story than my other Pal Valentine's Day story so I don't know how they know each other. They just do._


	8. Chapter 8: Third Rehearsal

_Sorry I've been MIA for a week. I promised I'd update write and update more. That didn't happen. I ended up getting caught up with my homework reading and all of my appointments that I didn't really have much time this week to write and publish._

 _Monday, I had a much needed dentist appointment. Tuesday, I went with my mom for her orthodontist appointment. Wednesday, I go to 2 inches of my hair cut off. Thursday, I basically spent all day reading and doing homework. Now that it's Friday, I spent the morning getting 5 teeth filled at the dentist and now my mouth is still a little sore._

 _I can't believe that the week's almost over. Before I know it, it's going to be time to go back to campus to do part 2 of the semester! 6 more weeks until summer!_

 _Anways, here's a much needed chapter. Yes it's short I know. I'm currently writing the next chapter. There will probably be about 11 or 12 chapters. I still haven't decided yet._

 _As always, I don't own anything._

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Third Rehearsal (Saturday)**

The next day, Parker came downstairs to see Holden, Liv, Joey, Skeeter, and Finch in the living room. He slowed his pace when he saw that all of them were looking at him, so he gave them a suspicious look. "What's going on?"

Skeeter was the one to step forward from the group. "Parker. I'm sorry of what happened yesterday. We're all sorry. I know this must be hard for you but we realized that you really wanted to do this so we spent all yesterday afternoon when you were in your room, or wherever you were, practicing and we have a little surprise for you." With that, he stepped back. All the guys assumed their starting positions. Holden gave a nod to Liv, who pressed "play".

 _Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
_ _Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend_

In perfect sync, all 4 guys-no, they were dancers now-dancers did the choreography with very little mistakes. At the end of it all, they were all out of breath and breathing heavily. All eyes were on Parker again. The scientist had his hand over his mouth, trying not to cry. "That was," he sniffled, "that was beautiful. You guys did all that yesterday?" They all nodded. "I have the best boy band ever!" Before they all knew it, they were were in a giant hug with Holden being squished in the middle.

When they ended their embrace, they got started again but this time, with Parker. At times, Holden would work one-on-one with him just working on Parker's separate choreography as the "leader" or the "Kendall Knight." At those times, Skeeter, Finch, and Joey would go out in the backyard to jump on the trampoline until Holden would call them back in to work on group choreography. Saturday's rehearsal lasted 4 hours. They figured they didn't need to practice on Sunday since they were on a roll. Besides, Sunday was everyone's weekend homework day. Joey had a paper due on Monday. Finch needed to study for a test on Tuesday. Skeeter needed Parker's help to test another one of their jetpacks. Holden and Liv were going to the movies with Maddie and Diggie that afternoon.

They all went their separate ways once they stepped out of the Rooney household. They figured they can practice for an hour on Monday and Tuesday, spend two hours on Wednesday for last minute perfections, and Thursday was Val's birthday. Joey went back inside the house to work on his paper, Finch headed back to his house, Skeeter and Parker walked to Skeeter's, and Holden drove Liv to the movie theater to meet Maddie and Diggie there.

* * *

 _Yes, it's that short. Chapter 9 is Saturday at the Wishart's. Violet and Val are going shopping again. That's all I've got so far._


	9. Chapter 9: Party Plans

_Wow! Has it really been 10 days since I published the last chapter? Sorry guys. I've been busy with school that I finished this chapter a few days ago. I've been working on it for some time. I'm currently writing chapter 10._

 _As some of you might have noticed, I have so many story ideas that have yet to be written so I'm literally neck-deep in writing, both for fanfiction and school. I have a month left of sophomore year of college. Gosh, how time flies! I'm hoping to write more over the summer but I might have to take a summer class and work. I'm also hoping to learn how to drive. So many things to do, so little time._

 _Here's chapter 9._

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Party Plans (still Saturday)**

At the Wishart household, the whole buzz was planning for Val's birthday celebration on Thursday. Mrs Wishart was frantically making invitations. Mr Wishart was calling every birthday company he knew. Victor had to clean his room with Vincent. Vance was to put away dishes from the dishwasher, books and magazines from the living room, and his toys from his room he shared with Vincent. Poor Val was out shopping with Violet to find the PERFECT outfit to (hopefully) impress her high school crush.

"Do we really have to do this?" Val complained as Violet was searching through a clothes rack at her favorite dress shop.

"Yes we do. Besides, you'll be 17 and you need a new way to impress _Parker_ ". Once again, Val blushed at the mention of her crush's name. Violet tried to hide the fact that Parker was already planning something. Liv didn't tell her what but it was sure going to work.

"Come on. Not that again." She leaned up against a shelf that held jewelry and purses. "I do not have a crush on him". She tried to deny it but she knew that it wasn't true.

"You so do. Your face lights up every time he's around, you blush every time someone says his name, you guys spend basically every single waking moment together." Violet counted the proof on her fingers as she was listing them. "You two even walk to and from school together every single day. Don't even get me started on all the science projects you two do together".

Val sighed. She couldn't deny it anymore now that her sister just listed everything that they do together. "Fine". She heard Violet squeal a little. "I may like Parker a little bit. But only a little bit". She said the second part with the straightest face she could. Internally, she was relieved that she finally got it off her chest.

"Perfect! Now, you know the drill. Pick a handful of dresses you like and I'll pick a handful that I like for you. Then go into the changing room. Next we'll pick a necklace!" Val gave out another sigh as she turned toward the sale rack. It was going to be a long day.

After 2 long hours of trying on what seemed like a thousand dresses, Violet and Val finally settled on a short-sleeved forest green (Parker's favorite color) skater dress that went just above her knees. They found a thin gold belt to around her waist and a small cuff bracelet to go around her wrist. They paid for the dress, belt, and bracelet and headed toward the food court for some late lunch.

While waiting for her sandwich, Val sent a quick text to Parker. _My family is going CRAZY for my birthday party. It's almost driving me insane._

Parker nearly laughed at the text.

"What's so funny?" Skeeter looked up from working on the jet pack.

"Val" was all Parker could say so his friend could understand. Skeeter nodded.

"What'd she say?"

"Oh. Just that her family is making a big fuss for her birthday. She thinks she going to go crazy soon". Skeeter smiled and nodded again. He gave a little chuckle.

"Well, they're not the only one making a big fuss," he pointed out.

"Yeah. It's going to be so worth it in the end. I can't wait to see her face!"

"You guys are so meant to be together. I ship it"

"Thanks Skeeter. Are we ready for test run number 8?"

"You bet! Take off in 5...4...3...2..1!"

"One more picture". Val threw her head back and sighed at her sister's request. "Come on Val. Mom wants pictures of the dress"

"Fine but after this picture, I'm changing back to my jeans". Val faked another smile and posed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

"Okay. In 3...2...1…". _Click_! "Okay. I'm done!"

Val's smile disappeared. "Good! Oh my gosh, my cheeks are killing me. I can't keep smiling like this. I'm exhausted. I think a need a break, a little break". _(Anyone know this reference? Let me know if you do!)_ Val rubbed her cheeks as she headed back into the restroom to change out of the dress. 2 minutes later, Val emerged from the stall with the dress draped over her arm in the clothes she picked out that morning. She had a much more relaxed expression on her face.

The entire ride home, Violet was gushing and fangirling how cute her sister and her sister's crush are going to be like. It was a long 20 minutes as Val's cheeks grew pinker and pinker by the minute. She decided to let her sister rant and barely said a word the whole ride home.

"...and then when he used the excuse that he was taking a break from homework and he just so _happened_ to walk by our street, I thought I was going to explode! You guys are so cute together!" Violet sighed dreamily and laid her right hand over her chest. "You should tell him?"

Val shot up and looked at her sister. "What?! No…no...no." She shook her head. "That would be bad because if I admitted my feelings to him and it turns out he wants to be _just friends_ , then I would be left heartbroken and when we hang out, we would be really awkward and he'll start to think of excuses to not hang out with me and then we won't be friends anymore. Remember Sharon?"

How could Violet not remember Sharon? Sharon and Val were best friends in elementary and middle school and were inseparable. They did everything together. They had play dates almost every weekend in second grade. They went to the movies together at least once a month. They would go shopping downtown every other week. They hung out every. single. day. They were basically joined at the hip. When Val started going to BOOMS while Sharon attended the other high school for the non-sciencey students, like Violet, they started to drift apart. No more play dates. No more movies. No more shopping downtown. They barely saw each other. They would try to meet during the weekend or during school breaks but sometimes, the breaks wouldn't coincide. Oftentimes, they would have other plans and not meet even if it's just a quick lunch break. Eventually, they lost contact and Val heard from Jessica that Sharon moved to Rhode Island because of her dad's work. They haven't seen each other in 2 ½ years. They haven't spoken for 18 months. Val figured that she wasn't going to come back so she decided that she needed to move on. Val hasn't thought about her ex-best friend since.

"I think you should tell her." Skeeter suddenly said as if it were the most normal thing to say while tweaking the jet pack for the 13th time.

"Why would I do that?"

"One, you like her. Two, you find every excuse to hang out with her. Three, you guys are destined to be together. Want me to go on?"

Parker blinked. "Uhh. No thanks. You can stop there." He turned the screwdriver that he was using a couple times before talking again. "Besides, I'm going to eventually tell her everything on Thursday."

Skeeter couldn't argue with that. They did spend a total of 8 hours practicing the 4-minute song. They also would spend an extra 4 hours in rehearsals and last minute perfections before the performance on Thursday.

When Val and Violet entered their house, everything was chaotic. Their dad was yelling in the phone to some guy about the cake. They heard running upstairs, which they assumed were Victor and Vincent. Their mom was busy making dinner. Vance was complaining that his teeth hurt. Yeah, it was crazy. Their house was like a zoo. _(Remember when Val told Parker this in "Falcon a Rooney"?)_ Backing away, the sisters stayed on the porch.

Violet turned to Val. "So," Val looked up at her sister, "how about another outing?" Val's head nodded the fastest it's nodded. They turned back to Violet's car and put on their seat belts. "Where to?" Val bit her lip and thought about the one place she goes when her house is chaotic. Violet noticed the look and nodded. She knew exactly where to go. She shifted gears, backed out of the driveway, and drove for 10 minutes.

* * *

 _That should tie you guys over for a little bit. Do you know where Violet and Val end up?_

 _Sharon was kind of inspired by my life. My ex-best friend and I met in middle school but she hung out with a more popular crowd and left me behind. We haven't seen each other for over 5 years. Our best friendship didn't last long. I met my best friend before her in kindergarten. Over the years, we drifted apart but occasionally text each other._

 _Now, I don't believe in just one best friend. I believe in multiple close friends. I've been in the same friend group since seventh grade. We all came from different elementary schools and all met at the middle school. We try to hang out (go shopping, watch a movie, etc) over the summer and winter break._


	10. Chapter 10: Of Rockets and Beach Sunsets

_Thank you guys for waiting 8 days for a new chapter. To tell the truth, I finished this chapter this afternoon during one of my classes when we were supposed to be working on a paper that's due next week. I have my priorities._

 _To make it up to you guys for waiting for so long, here's a long chapter that's about 5 pages on my Google Doc when I wrote it._

* * *

 **C** **hapter 10: Of Rockets and Beach Sunsets (still Saturday)**

Joey was surprised by the sound of a knock on the front door. "I'll get it!" He raced over to the front door and was face to face with 2 long-haired brunettes. "Oh hey Val!"

"Hey Joey. Is Parker here?" Val looked around for her friend from where she was standing on the doorway.

"No, he's not. He's over at Skeeter's house"

"Oh. Okay. Thanks for letting me know." Joey made a mental note that she sounded disappointed that Parker wasn't there.

"No problem." There was an awkward silence between them. They weren't all that close and only knew each other from his brief reign as Falcon and through Parker. "So…. How's it going Val? I feel like we haven't talked in a while"

"It's been good. It's just that my family is making this big fuss for my birthday. I mean, I'll be 17 in 5 days and they make it seem like the President is visiting. Honestly, turning 17 isn't all that special," she crossed her arms.

Violet thought she saw Joey raise his eyebrows at Val's statement. She thought she heard him mumble something along the lines of "Parker...planned...birthday"

"What was that?" Val definitely heard him mumble something so she tried to get him to repeat it.

"Nothing," Joey said shyly while he dug his hands in his pocket and looked at the ground.

"So.. Umm. I should, umm". Val pointed behind her.

"Yeah. I'll see you later, then"

"See you later". She turned and Violet followed. Joey shut the door behind him.

When the sisters got in Violet's car, Violet turned to the passenger's seat. "Skeeter's?" Violet asked.

Val nodded. "Skeeter's."

It took 15 minutes, where it would normally take exactly 11 minutes but there were a few difficulties along the way. When they finally got to the house, Violet stayed in the car while Val got out to knock on the door. Val hesitated for a few moments before knocking twice. It was a little while before she heard the door being unlocked. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Skeeter was the one to open the door. He smiled at his best friend's "girlfriend."

"Oh hi Val!" Val's eyes shot open, relieved that it wasn't Parker on the other side.

"Skeeter! It's great to see you." The two scientists briefly hugged. "Hey, umm. Is Parker here?" She tried her best to sound uninterested.

"Yeah, he's just in the back. Come on in." He stepped aside to let the long-haired brunette in. "We're just working on our rocket we started a few weeks ago."

"You two still on that?"

"Yeah." Skeeter scratched the back of his head. "There were multiple times where we would fail but you know Parker. He never gives up until he succeeds." Val nodded understandingly. She remembered that one time when they were locked in the Chemistry lab because her growth serum and his Cacticado mixed together to create a giant Venus Fly Trap. They spent all day working on a weed killer. There were a few times when she was frustrated and wanted to give up. Parker gave her the confidence to finish her Val Venum.

"That sounds like him."

"So.. Your birthday is this week. Are you excited?"

Val thought about it for a little bit before answering. "Kind of. My family is making this big fuss on my party. I mean, 17 is great age, I just don't see it _that_ great. You get what I'm saying?" Skeeter nodded, though he didn't quite understand. He wasn't going to turn 17 until July. "It's not like anything special is going to happen when I'm 17."

Skeeter's eyes widened at her words as they approached the Parham backyard. "Oh, Val! You're here!" Parker looked up from what he was working on to hug his _friend_. "Sorry, I'm a bit of a mess right now. I think Skeeter and I are making a breakthrough in space travel." Val merely smiled at her friends' space dreams. She saw passion in his eyes and that was one of the reasons why she fell for him. He was so passionate in things he enjoyed, especially if it had to do with science. He threw himself into his passions and didn't give up until he succeeded.

"I'm sure you guys were having a great time"

"That I know is a fact." Parker smiled at Val, while Val bit her lip and averted eye contact with him, which didn't go unnoticed by Skeeter, who raised an eyebrow. "So, what brings you here?"

"My house was all crazy when Violet and I got home from shopping so we decided to head over to your house in case you wanted to hang out, but when we got there, you weren't there and Joey told us that you were here, and here we are!"

"Where _is_ Violet, anyway?" Skeeter asked, now noticing the absence of the older long-haired brunette.

"Oh, she's..um.. She's in the car"

"I see. Do you want to invite her over here?"

"Umm. I think she's fine in the car"

"Okay, I just want to make sure she's alright"

"Since when have you been concerned about my sister?" Skeeter was taken aback from Val's question. Why was he concerned about Violet? Did he like her? He can't like her. She had a boyfriend. He can't like her. He just can't. "Skeeter? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." His voice dropped to almost a whisper. "I'm just tired. I'm going to lay down for a while."

"But what about our rocket?"

"You two can work on it"

"But I don't know how to do whatever you guys are doing"

"Then I think we can pause for the day," Skeeter yawned and rubbed his eyes. "See you two on Monday"

Once Skeeter was out of the room, Parker and Val looked at each other. "So what now?"

"Walk?" Parker offered his hand.

"I thought you'd never ask". Val smiled and took his hand. Parker smiled back and Val smiled at the ground and tucked some hair behind her ear. Parker thought she looked cute when she's embarrassed. _When you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell you don't know you don't know you're beautiful. That's what makes you beautiful._

The two headed toward the front door. Parker opened the door and gestured for Val to go first. "After you"

"Thanks Parker." Val walked out the threshold, stopped while Parker walked out and closed the door behind him, then grabbed his hand. Parker gave no protest. Unbeknownst to them, two sets of eyes were watching the whole thing and smiled at their sudden urge to hold each other's hand, one from a second story window that overlooks the driveway and the other from the driver's seat of a Honda Civic.

The two scientists made their way to the beach, where they would see the sun set. When they got to the sandy beach, the sun was low enough that it was going to set soon. They sat down on a nearby bench. She took a deep breath and began to speak. "I really do enjoy these moments we have together, Parker, just the two of us. It feels like nothing else in the world matters. I feel like I could accomplish anything as long as you're at my side. I'm always so comfortable around you. You're like my best friend." She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Parker's eyes widened at her words. Did she just admit her feelings for him? Did she really feel the same way about him as he did for her? For a moment, Parker was about to abandon his whole plan _(this part was kind of inspired by the end of chapter 8 of "Waldorf Astoria" by melbelle310 so the idea was taken from her)_ but that would defeat the whole purpose of what he wanted to do. Besides, him and the guys spent too much time practicing and rehearsing the dance that it couldn't be wasted on. It took everything he had to not kiss her right there. He had to continue on with the plan. It would all be worth it in the end.

As the sun was starting to set, Parker listened to the steady breaths of Val so he knew that she fell asleep on him, again. It sounded so peaceful that he was starting to get sleepy. He slowly closed his eyes but they shot open when a thought came his mind. Smirking, he looked down at Val's sleeping form, planted a soft kiss on the top of her head, and whispered "Sweet dreams, princess" _(again, I took this idea from chapter 3 of "Waldorf Astoria" by melbelle310)._

Val was half-asleep when he kissed her head and heard his words. She smiled in her sleep, knowing that this was no longer one of her normal dreams. No, this was reality and she was living her dreams.

Neither one of them wanted the moment to end. Unfortunately, the moment ended when Val's phone started playing "Sisters" from _White Christmas._ She shot up from Parker's shoulder and answered her phone. "It's Vi. Give me a minute." Parker nodded as she stood up and walked a few feet from the bench. Parker scratched behind his ear, obviously annoyed that they were interrupted. "Hey Vi." A few moments pause as Val listened to her sister's question. "I'm at the beach with Parker." A second pause. "Yeah, we'll be back soon." Another pause. "Okay. See you soon!" Val ended the call and walked back to Parker, who was still sitting on the bench. "Violet wants me back. Dinner's almost ready at our house."

"Okay, let's go then." Parker stood up and offered his hand, which Val gladly took it. Both of them smiled at each other, but Val was the only one to look at the ground while smiling.

The walk back to Skeeter's was a quiet one. Neither of them said a word to each other but nothing had to be said. It wasn't an awkward silence. It was a comforting silence. They just took in the quietness between them as peaceful. Parker kept stealing glances at Val, not that Val didn't notice. The sun had just set and the sky was an orangy-pink color, which gave Val an angelic glow. Parker admired her as the cool February breeze blew through her long, brown locks, while Val pretended not to notice.

Once they got back to Skeeter's driveway, Val decided to break the silence. "You're a great friend, Parker. Any girl would be lucky to have you." Then, she squeezed his neck in a tight hug. Parker hugged back as his arms wrapped around her waist. "Thank you," she whispered. Parker heard sadness in her voice. Little did she know, she would be the girl.

"You're welcome," Parker whispered back. The pair pulled back and smiled at each other. Parker waved. "See you Monday"

Val waved back as she got back in Violet's car. "See ya". Violet smirked as she backed away out of the driveway. Val prepared for 11 minutes of telling Violet all about their walk because she knew Violet would want every single detail.

Val waved one more time to Parker, who was still standing on the driveway. Parker waved back. Once they were out of sight, Parker dug his hands in his pockets and released a large breath. He walked back into Skeeter's house to see if he was awake. Skeeter looked up from his book and smiled. Parker took his hands out of his pockets and threw his hands out. "Dude, I'm so ready for Thursday!"

* * *

 _Whew! That's a long chapter! I'm currently writing chapter 12 (I wrote chapter 11 today) so I don't think this story will be 11 or 12 chapters long, since chapters 11 and 12 take place on Monday. It might end up being 15 chapters but only only time will tell._

 _I highly recommend "Waldorf Astoria" if you want some action on Troyella, Ryelsi, Zekepay, and Chaylor, but mostly Troyella and Ryelsi. Be warned that it's long (11 Chapters and over 60,000 words) but it's so cute, especially the bond Ryan and Kelsi have._


	11. Chapter 11: Falling For You

_I got another short chapter for you guys because I finished writing this chapter on Thursday and wrote 2 more chapters yesterday. I haven't written anything since. I might write a little bit tonight. So far, Monday has the most amount of chapters (chapters 11-13) so I might have to squeeze Tuesday and Wednesday in chapter 14 and then Thursday in chapter 15. I still haven't fully decided how many chapters I want. I'll see how many I end up writing._

 _Please excuse my love for Colbie Caillat. One of my high school friends got me into country music during my junior year and Colbie Cailat is one of my favorite country artists and "Falling For You" is one of my favorite Colbie Callait songs._

 _Disclaimer (it's been a little while since I did one of these): I don't own "Liv and Maddie." I don't own Val. I don't own Parker. I don't own Liv. I don't own Colbie Caillat. I don't own "Falling For You." I only own this story and Violet._

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Falling For You (Monday morning)**

Sunday flew by like it never existed. Before he knew it, it was Monday. Parker rolled in bed until he was on his back and sighed. He looked up to his ceiling and one thing was on his mind. "Four days. Four days until I can finally tell her. In four days, she'll be my girlfriend." Parker stared at his ceiling for a few more minutes before he decided that he should get ready for school.

Meanwhile, Val had been up for 15 minutes. She just finished showering and was currently combing out her wet, brown hair. She was singing along to her iPod, that was currently playing Colbie Caillat's "Falling For You." She didn't even register that Violet was listening to her jam session in the bathroom. _I've just spendin' all my time just thinkin' 'bout you. I don't know what to, I think I'm falling for you. I've been waiting all my life and now I've found ya. I don't know what to, I think I'm falling for you, falling for you._ A smile grew on the older girl's face.

When Val emerged from the bathroom with clean hair and clean clothes. She hummed the chorus to "Falling For You" as she sauntered back to her bedroom. Violet's smile only grew wider. "Four days. Four days until Parker will tell her. In four days, I won't be the only one in a relationship". Liv had revealed to Violet of Parker's plan on Sunday. They had lunch together because Liv couldn't keep the secret any longer so she had to tell someone, so why not the sister of her brother's crush?

 _(Flashback)_

 _"Shut up! Shut up!" Violet slammed the palms of her hands on the table, receiving glances from nearby tables and customers walking by._

 _"I'm not kidding. He's liked her for a whole year so he really wants to do something special for her birthday." Liv couldn't be happier that her baby brother was finally doing something about his crush on Val._

 _"It's definitely special, alright." Violet crossed her legs and took a sip of her coffee. "She has no idea what's coming to her. It's going to be so cute!"_

 _"We'll be at your house before the party to rehearse one more time before Val comes home from the animal shelter."_

 _"And I'll be sure to pick her up as if it's a normal Thursday afternoon."_

 _"Perfect!" Liv clapped her hands and did a little wiggle in her seat. "Ooooooh! This is very exciting." Violet could only smile and nod. It was going to be very exciting because both their younger siblings would get their dreams made true. Parker was finally going to make his move._

 _(End flashback)_

As Val made it to the breakfast table, she couldn't help but notice Violet's sudden smile. Something must be up. Violet was never this happy on a Monday morning. She decided to find out. "What's with the smile?"

"Nothing." Violet kept smiling through her teeth. "I'm just really happy today." Val raised an eyebrow.

"Really, Vi? Really?"

"Really,"

"Really?" Val crossed her arms. Violet nodded her head. "Hmmm. Something's going , though I don't know what, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it."

"Well, you're just going to have to wait because I'm not telling you."

"Ha!" Val immediately stood up. "So something _is_ going on!"

"I never said anything was going on." Violet looked up innocently at her standing sister. Val opened her mouth to say something when they heard a knock on the door. Violet breathed a sigh of relief as she didn't have to be interrogated by Val anymore for the morning. _Thank goodness for my future brother-in-law._

* * *

 _Apparently, I've decided that Val volunteers at the animal rescue/shelter on Thursday afternoons. I got the idea that she volunteers at the animal rescue from Liv's line in "Stand Up a Rooney." I somehow imagine Val liking country music so she likes country music in this story._


	12. Chapter 12: An Off Day?

_I wasn't sure where I wanted to go for this chapter so this is what I ended up with._

 _This might be the last that you'll hear from me this week in terms of this story. I'm thinking that I'll publish my Ryelsi story either on Friday or Saturday because Saturday is my college's Spring Ball (which is like prom and my Ryelsi story takes place around the time of prom in HSM 3 so it would only make sense if I did). Don't worry. I'll continue writing and publishing this story as soon as I finish so I'm hoping to finish publishing this story by the end of school (which is in 2 and a half weeks) but I can't make any guarentees because it's practically "dead week" now because I have lots of papers, tests, and presentations due within the next 2 weeks. To tell the truth, it's more like "dead month."_

 _I can't believe this school year is almost over. In 2 weeks, I'll be halfway to GRADUATING! It's crazy._

 _I think because of how much I've written so far, I think this story will be more like 18 chapters, so yeah. Definitely my longest story yet. I'm already on chapter 15 but it's Tuesday and something happens to Val (wait for chapter 13 to see what it is) so there's plenty of Pal fluff in chapter 15._

 _Like always, I don't own anything except this story and Violet. Everything else goes to John D Beck and Disney Channel._

* * *

 **Chapter 12: An "Off Day"? (Still Monday Morning/Monday Afternoon)**

Val slumped her backpack over her shoulders and walked over to the front door. At the last minute, she turned to give one last glare at Violet. She turned the doorknob to face a pair of brown eyes. "Hey Val"

"Hey Parker." She checked the time. "You're a little early. Why don't you find inside? I was just having a little conversation with Violet."

"About what?"

"Well, apparently Vi-"

"needs to get to work! Val, thank you so much for reminding me!" Violet interrupted her sister, afraid that Val was going to reveal what actually happened between them just a few minutes ago. She gave Val a quick hug. "Well, I got to go! I can't be late again!" With that, she left the two high schoolers in the kitchen.

Parker looked from Val to the Wishart's front door, back to Val. "What just happened?"

Val blinked her eyes once, twice, three times. "I..I don't know. I must have been imagining things." Val's right hand felt the top of her forehead, as if she was checking for a fever.

Parker's face grew worried. He didn't know how to react he just walked up to Val and started stroking her arm, hoping it'll have some effect on her. To his benefit, she looked up at him and removed her hand. "Do you want to go now?"

"Yeah. Umm…. We can go now." They walked a few feet until Parker looked down and pointed down at Val's feet. "What?" She looked down to where he was pointing. "Oh, right. I need shoes. Give me a minute." She put her backpack down, grabbed the first pair of shoes she saw that were hers, and began lacing up her red high tops. She slugged her backpack over her shoulder for the second time in 5 minutes and walked up to Parker.

"Ready now?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm ready." Val crossed her arms and looked down. Parker still looked worried. He gestured for them to walk to school like always. Val walked passed him, not bothering to stop for him when he closed the door. Something was up with Val and Parker was determined to find out what it was. Maybe it was just one of her "off days". He walked a few paces behind her for the remainder of the walk, just in case.

While walking behind Val for 20 minutes, Parker couldn't help but notice that Val never looked behind her once. She wrapped her jacket around her body tighter. Her arms were still crossed and her head was looking down on the ground. Ever so often, she would cough a few times or sneeze twice. Parker figured it was just allergies, being late February.

Once they got to school, Val headed straight for her first class. Parker simply watched her walk away from him. He didn't see her for the rest of the day. He didn't see her in Chemistry. He didn't see her at lunch. He didn't see her when they were supposed to meet at his locker at the end of the day to walk home.

Parker waited 15 minutes before heading toward the Chemistry Lab, hoping he'll find someone there. He smiled when he saw said person in a lab coat and goggles, while holding a beaker with some sort of green liquid. "Finch!"

Finch looked up and smiled. "Hey Parker. Look what I made. I mixed sodium hydroxide with chlorophyll and vinegar, and I got this awesome green liquid! Isn't it cool?"

"Yeah it's pretty cool. Listen, have you seen Val?"

"I've seen Val lots of times. I've known her since 8th grade when I moved from Washington DC" _(I found out that Finch's actor is from Washington DC so I thought that Finch should also be from Washington DC)_

"Very funny. I mean, have you've seen Val today? We walked to school this morning but I haven't seen her since. We're supposed to walk home together." This didn't seem surprising to Finch. Parker and Val usually walked to and from school together every day. What did surprise him was that he hasn't seen Val at all that day.

"Actually, I haven't seen her all day." Finch brought one of his hands to his chin and started stroking his "beard," as in deep thought. "Hmm. That's really weird. I don't know where she is"

"Huh. Well, I'm sure she's fine. I'll call her tonight." Finch nodded as he recorded his data on the green mixture in his notebook. "Are you coming to rehearsal today?"

"Yeah. We can walk to your house. I'm almost done. Give me 5 minutes to finish recording the data, empty and clean the beaker, hang up my lab coat, put away my goggles, and grab my backpack."

"Great! I'll meet you outside the lab."

"Sounds good," Finch agreed without taking his eyes off his notebook, vigorously writing his observations. Parker dug his hands in his pockets as he walked out the Chemistry Lab.

While waiting for Finch to finish up, Parker's mind kept drifting to Val and her not-so-normal behavior. She wasn't like that on Saturday when they took a walk on the beach and sat down to watch the sunset. He didn't see her on Sunday because he and Skeeter were working all day on the rocket again and he didn't get home until dinnertime. When did her unusual behavior start? He thought back to that morning when he arrived at the Wishart's. He was unaware that he had been a few minutes earlier than usual. Apparently, he had interrupted something.

 _"I was just having a little conversation with Violet."_

 _"About what?"_

 _"Well, apparently Vi-"_

 _"needs to get to work! Val, thank you so much for reminding me! Well, I got to go! I can't be late again!"_

All seemed normal until he ask her what was happening. She replied that she "must have been imagining things" and proceeded to bring her hand to her forehead. Then he remembered the walk. He assumed it was just another one of her "off days" so he kept his distance and didn't ask too many questions. Instead of walking side-by-side with Val, and sometimes hand-in-hand, he walked about 6 paces behind her and didn't initiate any kind of conversation with her. As they got closer and closer to school, she fastened her pace and by the time he got to school, she had gone to her first class, not taking one look behind her. Something must had happened before he arrived that morning, but what? Val mentioned having a conversation with Violet. Did it have something to do with Violet? Why would Violet be involved?

An idea crossed his head as he took out his phone and dialed a number. He brought it to his ear and heard it ring three times before going to voicemail. "Hey, this is Vi. Leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!" _Beeeeeeeeep!_ Parker ended the call and sighed a heavy sigh. Frustrated, he slammed his fist against some nearby lockers, not caring of the consequences if he dented them.

He had just ended taking his frustration out on the lockers when Finch came out of the Chemistry Lab. He slows his pace when he saw Parker's forehead against some lockers. "Dude, what are you doing?"

"Taking my frustration out on the lockers. What else?"

"What's going on?"

"I was thinking about Val's behavior today and wondering what made it like that."

"Hmm. Like I said, I haven't seen her all day so I wouldn't know. Let not worry about it now. Let's go rehearse." Parker nodded as the two friends headed back to the house for another hour of practice.

Parker and Finch rarely spend some time alone together. Parker is either with Val or Skeeter and Finch acts as a third wheel or is off doing his own thing. Either way, both Parker and Finch were silent for the 20 minute walk. There were a few times where Finch wanted to talk but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out.

Once they got through the threshold, they weren't surprised to see Liv, Holden, Skeeter, and Joey waiting for them. What did surprise them, however, was that Liv was sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. Holden was sitting next to her and rubbing her back. Joey and Skeeter were standing behind them with their arms crossed and a worried look on their faces. Parker and Finch entered slowly, not wanting to disturb the feeling in the room, whatever that feeling was.

Joey was the first to notice the new presence in the room. He nudged Skeeter, who looked up at him. Joey gestured toward the front door and Skeeter looked to where Joey gestured. His eyes still showed sadness but they lit up a little bit at the sight of his two friends. He walked toward them. "Hey." His voice was soft but clear.

"What's happening? We need to practice." Parker took off his backpack and placed it beside the stairs. Finch followed his lead.

"Practice is canceled." Holden stated, not turning around from his position next to his girlfriend. Before Parker could ask why, Liv let out a sob and Joey left the room to grab a box of tissues from the kitchen. When he returned he offered one to Liv, who took it, and placed the box on the coffee table in front of her. "Maddie..." Holden began again, trying to hold back a tear. "She, umm, tripped and fell in the gym during practice. She got hurt pretty bad and is now in the hospital to see if she broke anything." _(This is a sneak peak at a future story featuring The Dream)_

"Why does it have to happen to Maddie?" Liv cried out. She blew her nose in a tissue before grabbing another one and wiping her tears from her eyes. She knew her make up was running but she didn't care. All she wanted was to see if her twin was alright but she couldn't because Maddie was currently in the ER getting immediate attention and her mom and Diggie had been there to discuss future possibilities including getting an X-Ray to see if surgery was needed.

Upon hearing this, Parker headed straight for Liv's other side and hugged his blonde sister. Joey couldn't hold it any longer and soon, he leaned forward and hugged his little brother and older sister with a giant cry. Finch walked over to where Skeeter was standing the siblings, all broken from a major turning event that might change their lives. The two high schoolers exchanged glances before whispering something into Holden's ear, which he nodded, and Skeeter and Finch left the Rooney household without another word.

Liv had finally ran out of tears when she gently laid her head on Holden's shoulder and breathed a heavy sigh. In return, Holden gently stroked Liv's other arm and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks babe. Thanks for being here. Thanks for everything." Liv sighed again without lifting her head off his shoulder because she felt protected by him. She could show off her weak and vulnerable side and all he could do was be the strong one.

"Anytime babe." He kissed the top of her head one more time before giving her a gentle squeeze, but it was more of a side hug due to their position on the couch. Liv smiled at the contact. No matter what, they always found a way back to each other. Whether it was not seeing each other for 8 years and him magically turning up on her front doorstep _("Neighbors a Rooney")_ or getting back together after she moved to California and after their nasty break up over their relationship _("Scoop a Rooney")_. He finally gave into dating a celebrity wasn't easy and she finally agreed to go public in their relationship and so far, nothing bad has happened. Except for the fight they had the week prior, everything was running smoothly for the young couple.

They heard sniffling and remember that they weren't the only ones in the room, Parker and Joey were still there and still teary eyed, rubbing their eyes every now and then. Joey had to take off his glasses to wipe the tears that came running down his face. Parker had to blow his nose a few times before going off into another crying fest. When he stopped, he looked around, expecting to find 2 of his friends there but they were nowhere in sight. Great. His two friends ditched him because he was showing emotion. Great, just great. How manly.

Holden noticed Parker looking around the room, obviously looking for something (or someones), so he spoke up about their whereabouts. "Skeeter and Finch saw us having a moment so they stepped out. They told me to call them back in when we were done." All three of the Rooney kids nodded in unison. "Are you guys okay?" Joey and Parker nodded again. Liv bit her lip and looked at the floor. Holden lowered his voice so only she could hear him. "Hey," she looked up and into his brown eyes and he stared into her green eyes, "everything's going to be alright in the end. It always does. Maddie's strong and brave, just like you." Liv nodded at his words before embracing him in a tight hug and kissing his cheek. Holden squeezed her hand before getting up to let Finch and Skeeter inside. The six spent the rest of the afternoon listening to Liv and Holden singing and playing "Key of Life" on the the Rooney's piano, making it the perfect song for the moment. _(I kind of took this moment from that one scene from "Voice a Rooney")_

 _Battle through the hard times, yeah yeah  
Be grateful for the good ones, ohh whoo  
Every time you fall down, yeah yeah  
Just sing in the key of life_

 _You're never out of tune  
If you sing in the key of life_

By the time dinner had come around, Finch and Skeeter had to go home to work on homework and Holden had left, but promised that he'd call Liv to check up on her that night. Parker had gone to his room to work on homework before dinner and Joey went into the kitchen to write some jokes for his next comedy show. That left Liv alone in the family room, thinking about Maddie. This was the first time in a long time where Liv felt really alone. She was all by herself but she knew deep down that she wasn't alone. She was grateful for her support system at times like these. She smiled at the thought, then took out her newest _Sing it Louder!_ script and began reading. The next episode will feature Sasha's secret crush on the new bad boy that arrives at Monaham Academy for being a drug dealer. Before long, all her crying made her tired so she kicked her legs up on the couch and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

 _So yeah. Sorry this chapter doesn't have many Pal moments but I'll make it up to you guys in chapter 15! There's also a reason why Val acts like the way she acted. Any guesses?_


	13. Chapter 13: What Happened to Val?

_Spring Ball was so much fun! I have some ideas for next year! I'm still trying to recover. We planned Spring Ball in just under 3 months and got everything done. Everyone who attended seemed to enjoy themselves._

 _My week has consisted of getting ready for next week, which are FINAL exams. I have 2 FINALS back to back on Monday, but I get done early that day. I don't have a FINAL on Tuesday until 1pm. I will probably spend Wednesday studying for Thursday's FINAL. I don't have anything on Wednesday. I'm done at around noon on Thursday. I move out that afternoon. After that, it's "goodbye" to sophomore year and "hello" to junior year!_

 _I've also started writing a "book" of sorts because my friend suggested that I write a book on my learning disorder after finding out that there aren't very many children's books on the lesser known disabilities, in contrast to the books on autism, Down Syndrome, dyslexia, and the "visible" disabilities like deafness/hard-of-hearing, blindness, and physical disabilities. It's going to be a book inspired by my personal life with learning to live with my learning disorder because it's not going away._

 _Here's the next chapter. I'm still writing chapter 15. I'm really hoping I finish writing the story by summer so I can publish it as soon as I can so I can write my other stories and publish them. I will hopefully get a lot of writing done before I have to go back to school, but I can't make any guarentees (remember Easter Break?)._

 _As always, I don't own anything._

* * *

 **Chapter 13: What Happened to Val? (Still Monday)**

When Val felt her forehead that morning, she felt like her face was on fire. She told him that she was imagining things. She felt like she was out of it all day, like she wasn't herself. On the walk to school, she coughed and sneezed so many times, that she felt her throat started to get itchy. She felt a sudden chill so she wrapped her jacket tighter around her body. Once she got to BOOMS, she headed straight for her first class, not wanting Parker to look at her unflattering appearance.

In her second class, her teacher noticed her behavior and asked Val if she could step outside the classroom. The brunette nodded as she coughed a few more times. She got up from her desk to meet her teacher.

"Are you okay, Val?" It was the first thing he said once Val closed the classroom door behind her.

"Yeah," Val rubbed her nose, which was slowly getting red and inflated, and sniffled. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?

"You just seem unfocused today during class. You've been sneezing and coughing every 5 minutes. Now I notice your face is starting to turn red." Val's eyebrows went up. She knew what her teacher was implying but that would be impossible. "I'm going to excuse you for the remainder of class to go see the nurse."

Val could only nod when she retreated back to her desk, gathered all her things, and took the slip of paper from her teacher that indicated his reason for sending her in the hallway during class time.

Walking down the hallway to the nurse's office, Val couldn't believe it. Technically, she was "ditching" class so it didn't seem right to her. A part of her wanted to retreat back to class as if nothing happened. The other part of her made her looked down at the slip her teacher gave her and sighed. She didn't really have a choice so she continued on her trip to the nurse.

After what seemed like forever, Val was released from the nurse, only to come out with a reason for her mom to be picking her up in the middle of the school day. Val was going home at 11:21am and told to not return for the remainder of the day. She had a doctor's appointment at 2pm to see what she should do regarding her condition. If she knew one thing about how to treat the common cold, it would be plenty of fluids, plenty of Vitamin C, and plenty of rest.

She thought of calling Parker regarding her situation but she dismissed it, thinking it would disrupt his time of learning. For once, she was jealous of Parker. Parker was 100% healthy and was probably learning something he already knew, and she was sick at home and wasn't learning anything. The only thing she knew was that she was sick at home on a school day. That just didn't seem right to Val. There goes her perfect attendance record.

She spent the day drinking gallons of water to flush out the virus, taking a Vitamin C supplement to help fight the virus, and took a 3 hour nap when she got home from the doctor. The only people who called her were her sister and her parents. Why hasn't Parker called her?

* * *

 _Now we all have an explanation on Val's behavior! Sorry you had to wait a whole week for this chapter! What will Parker think of Val's new condition?_


	14. Chapter 14: Dr P To the Rescue!

_I finished 2 of my 4 finals today! Wow! It's not easy having two of your harder finals back to back on the first day of FINALS week! Let me tell you that it's even harder when your first FINAL is at 8am. I can't believe I used to get up each day for an 8am in high school. What they say about 8ams in college is true. If you are a morning person, great, take them. If you prefer the later mornings, like me, I don't suggest them. Unfortunately, I HAD to take the 8am this semester because that's the only time the course was offered. I'm taking another 8am next semester. Yay._

 _The good thing about now is that I have a presentation tomorrow (that's the FINAL) and then another test on Thursday._

 _Here's a long awaited chapter that's only the beginning of the Pal fluffiness! It's a little longer to make up for all those times where my chapters were shorter. I'll have more longer and shorter chapters. I like the variety. It's not JUST short chapters or JUST long chapters. It's short AND long chapters. It's a good mix._

 _I'm still writing this story. I'm currently on chapter 17 and it's STILL Monday. I think this story will be around 20 chapters now but I don't know yet._

 _Disclaimer: The only things I own are this story and the Wisharts that aren't Val. Other than that, everything else goes to Disney Channel._

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Dr P to the Rescue! (Tuesday)**

When Parker knocked on the Wishart door on Tuesday morning, he was surprised to see Vincent, Val's second younger brother, on the other side.

"Hi Vincent. Is Val ready?" Parker looked around the house from where he was standing on the porch.

"Val's still asleep. Come back tomorrow when she's awake." Vincent started closing the door when Parker stopped him from closing it all the way.

"Wait! What do you mean she's still asleep? We have school today."

"You mean, _you_ have school today. Val's not going. Mom called the school this morning telling them what her doctor told her."

"Wait, her doctor? What does her doctor have to do with anything?" Parker was really confused.

"You didn't hear?"

"Hear what?"

"Val's sick." Parker couldn't believe what he was hearing. Val never got sick. Why couldn't it be him being sick? Why did it have to be Val? And on her birthweek? Come on, that's not fair!

"W-w-what? She can't be sick. She has to go to school, like right now or else she'll be late"

"You really don't listen, do you? Let me say it again." Vincent cleared his throat. "VAL-IS-SICK. SHE-IS-NOT-GOING-TO-SCHOOL-TODAY. Understand now?"

Parker nodded at Vincent's over-enunciation and sudden voice increase. He didn't want him to wake Val. He knew how important rest was to recovering from being sick, just as important as school and learning were to Val. He didn't want to admit it but he thinks that the students at BOOMS really enjoy school, while the students at other schools weren't all that excited to go to class. He knew that the only reason why he liked his middle school in Steven's Point was because of Evan and Reggie, and DumpTruck at Ridgewood. Now that his friends are still in Steven's Point, he has to rely on Val, Finch, and Skeeter for his social life.

"Good. See you later, Parker." Vincent began closing the door again until Parker stopped it, again.

"Wait!"

"What do you want now?" Vincent whined.

"Can I see her?" Parker asked curiously. He wanted to see her at least once that day.

Vincent's eyes looked behind him. "Uhhh. I don't know."

"Just for a minute. Please?" Parker begged. Why was being in love making him weak?

"Ummm.. Give me a minute to ask my mom." Then he closed the door.

The door finally opened two minutes later but this time, Mrs Wishart answered the door. "Val's not feeling all that well today, Parker. Maybe tomorrow she'll be better."

"May I come in and see her? I want to make sure she's alright."

"If you really want to. Be quick about it so you won't be late for school." Mrs Wishart warned the teen and opened the door more to let him in. Parker nodded as he walked into the house. He set down his backpack and took off his shoes. He was about to go up the stairs until he realized he doesn't know which bedroom is hers. Mrs Wishart decided to help him out. "Her room is the second room on your right. You can't miss it. It has a poster of the Periodic Table of Elements on the door."

Parker nodded a "thanks" and continued to his crush's bedroom. When he got to the door with the Periodic Table taped on it, he stopped and knocked softly, not wanting to disturb her dreams. No answer. He knocked again, a little louder this time. He heard stirring and a groan. Seeing, rather hearing, that she wasn't 100% awake, he slowly and carefully turned the knob and opened her door. "Val?" He whispered. She stirred in her sleep. He slowly walked up to her bed. He brought up her desk chair next to her bed and sat in it. He brushed her face with the back of his fingers, brushing some of her hair out of the way in the process. _She looks so peaceful. How could a beautiful creature be sick?_ He felt her forehead. Shoot, it was burning up. He stood up and left Val's room.

When he entered the kitchen, Mrs Wishart was preparing what looked like some sort of soup, probably for Val, and Vincent had just finished his breakfast and was on his way to the bus stop. "Mrs Wishart?" The woman looked up from the pot she was stirring. "Can I use a damp towel to place on Val's forehead? It's really warm and I think she has a fever."

"Of course Parker. They're in the bottom left drawer next to the sink." Parker nodded and grabbed a towel, wetted it, and rung out the extra water into the sink. Mrs Wishart smiled when he left to go back to Val's room. "That boy is going to be a great boyfriend to my little girl. He's already taking care of her when she's sick." A thought crossed her mind as she heard Parker come back down. She heard rustling from the hallway and she knew that Parker was going to leave. "Parker, sweetie?"

Parker answered with a "yeah, Mrs Wishart" while he was tying his sneakers.

"Do you mind taking this glass of water up to Val for me? I need to make sure she gets plenty of fluids in her body when she wakes up."

"Sure." He untied his shoes and grabbed the glass that was sitting on the counter.

"Thank you, dear. You know, you're going to be a great boyfriend one day." Parker's eyes lit up to the sound of this. Her _mother_ was basically approving him to be her boyfriend. It sounded too good to be true. Internally, he was jumping for joy but remained calm and humble on the outside. He left again to go upstairs and all Mrs Wishart could do was smile. She leaned against the counter, admiring the teen. He came back a few minutes later, only to grab his things again so he won't be late for school. "Do you mind doing one more thing for me, please Parker?"

Parker looked up and shook his head. "Sorry, Mrs Wishart. I have to go now or else I'll be late for school. Thank you so much for letting me see Val." He turned, opened the door, and left. Mrs Wishart decided to go after him.

"Parker, wait." He turned. "I already called the school. You're excused for the day after I told them my reason. I have to run some errands and I need someone to take care of Val. Violet's working and the boys are at school. Their dad is working and won't be back until late so there will be no one to take care of her when I'm out. I've just thought that since that you and Val are so close, you should be the one taking care of her. Are you up for it?"

Parker couldn't believe his ears. He was going to skip school to basically play Doctor to his crush, and future girlfriend. What's not to love, other than the fact that she's sick and no one told him? He had to make sure that his future mother-in-law was 100% sure of being a humble slave to her daughter. "Are you sure?"

"I am completely sure that you'll do fine. I mean, who else will take care of her when I'm out?"

Parker nodded, considering the offer. "That's true." He thought about it for a moment before nodding again, striking with an idea. He readied his finger. "Challenge: Accepted!"

Mrs Wishart didn't know that that meant but she thought that he was in. "Great. Come back inside, where it's warm." Being a late February morning, it was cold outside. It was near 10 degrees Celsius outside and Mrs Wishart has had the heater on for about 20 minutes.

Once the two were back inside, Parker gently laid his backpack down in the kitchen, took off his shoes, and put them near the front door. She went back to preparing the soup for Val and Parker sat awkwardly in one of the chairs in the kitchen. A few quiet minutes went by before Parker got up and announced that he was going to check on Val. He didn't wait for Mrs Wishart's response as he basically ran out of the kitchen toward the person he really wanted to see.

Val was still asleep by the time he got to her door, but he still knocked softly in case she wasn't. He didn't hear an answer so he slowly opened her door. The damp towel was still on her forehead and the glass of water was still full on her bedside table. She hasn't woken up yet. Parker sat down on her desk chair and put his head in his hands in frustration. _First Maddie. Now Val? Who's next? Is Liv going to lose her voice again?_ He rubbed his hands together and looked around. "I can't believe I'm doing this." He got out of the chair and kneeled beside Val's bed, clasped his hands together, and closed his eyes. "Please God. Please heal both Maddie and Val. I don't want either of them to leave. I know Maddie is strong but she isn't as strong as some thing. Deep down, she's really fragile. She hurt her leg a few years ago and had to get surgery. I.." He sniffled and took a deep breath. "I don't know if she needs surgery this time but if she does, please make it a successful surgery. As for Val, please remedy her sickness as soon as you can, preferably within a 24-hour time frame. In the time that I've known her, she has never gotten sick and never misses school. I don't want her to go because…" He took another breath. He couldn't believe what he was about to say. "I really, really like her and I don't know what to do if I," he corrected himself, "if we lost her. I don't know how I'll live with knowing she didn't get better. Just please, God. Please heal Maddie's injury and remedy Val's sickness." A tear rolled down his face, his voice was now a whisper. "Please, please, please, please." _(I'm not religious so I'm not entirely sure how people pray by their beds, but I've watched films and this is how the characters pray by their beds)_

Parker heard a groan and movement from the bed. He opened his eyes and looked up. Val had moved to her side and was now facing her desk. Her brown hair framed her face as the towel fell from her forehead and onto her pillow. Parker took the towel and placed it on her desk. He felt her forehead. It was still warm but it wasn't as warm as it was earlier. He watched and listened as she peacefully slept, breathing in and out, her body slightly going up and down as she breathed. He stood up and leaned close to her ear. "I'm going to take good care of you today. Don't worry," he whispered and kissed her hair. He leaned back, grabbed the towel from her desk, and left her room.

* * *

 _That's it from me for now! See you all next time!_


	15. Chapter 15: Val Wakes Up

_Would you believe that this story is 54 pages on my Google Doc so far? And I'm not even done! I'm currently writing chapter 17 so I don't think I'll finish writing this story by the time I'm done because I have to take my last FINAL in 30 minutes and then I have to finish packing for move out this afternoon. This year has been crazy for me and next year would be even crazier. I just hope I graduate on time._

 _Enjoy this chapter, as I don't know the next time I'll publish._

 _I don't own anything except this story and Val's mom. I don't even own the computer I'm using the publish it. It's my school's library computer!_

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Val Wakes Up (Still Tuesday)**

"How is she?"

"She's fine. She's still asleep and I think her fever went down ever since I put the damp towel on her forehead."

"That's good." The two were silent for a moment before Mrs Wishart spoke up. "I need to run to the store to get some things for Val and tonight. Do you think you can handle being here for a little while with Val?"

"Yeah, I think I can."

"Good because you have no choice." Mrs Wishart managed a small laugh. "My phone number is on the kitchen table. The doctor's number is on the fridge. I'll be back in 2 hours." She closed the door and Parker was left alone with a sick Val upstairs and free range of the Wishart house, not that he will start exploring and digging tunnels under the house. It's not his house, anyways.

It wasn't long before he heard coughing from upstairs. Val must be awake. He heard Val try to holler a "mom?" in a raspy voice. He ran upstairs, skipping steps in the process, to see what she needed. Once he got to her door, he softly knocked twice, not wanting to scare her. "Come in," Val called out in her raspy voice. Once she saw who was coming into her room, her face showed a mixture of confusion and surprise. "Parker? What are you doing here? Should you be at school?"

"First of all, save your voice. If you need anything, text me. Secondly, your mom called the school and they let me take the day off to take care of you. Third, I'm here to help. Today, I'm all yours. I'm your humble slave and your wish is my command." He put his hand over his chest, kneeled in front of Val's bed, and bowed his head. Val managed a small giggle upon hearing this. At least she's smiling.

Val grabbed her phone and started typing something. A few moments later, Parker's phone buzzed with a new text message. "You're not supposed to be working your brain too much when you're sick, so no, I won't grab your backpack." Val pouted and crossed her arms. "Do you want more water?" Val now noticed her full glass of water that was next to her bed. She shook her head. "Can you drink some water? We need to wash out the virus that somehow got inside." She rolled her eyes but agreed. She lifted the glass and drank a few sips. "How about a little more?" Val glared at him. "Come one, Val. The more you drink, the faster you will recover." She sighed and gave in. She drank some, stopping every few sips to see how much water she had left. Once she finished, she showed Parker the proof that she finished the water. "Good. I'll get your another glass." He took the glass from her fingers and left her room.

Once he was out of the room, Val whispered to herself "I love that guy." She smiled at the thought of Parker being her slave all day. _My wish is his command, hmm?_ She thought about all the things she could have him do for her. _I could have him keep going up and down the stairs. I could have him sit next to me and read me stories. I could have him go to school and not worry about me. I could keep him from leaving me. I could have him go to the store for something outrageous. I could -._ Her thoughts her interrupted when Parker came back to her room, the glass now full with water.

"Here you go." Val nodded a thanks and placed the glass on her bedside table. Parker opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it. Parker awkwardly sat at the edge of her bed and the two sat together in silence. After a few minutes, Parker asked, "can I get you anything?" Val shook her head, no. "Do you want to do anything?" Val thought about it for a few moments before shrugging her shoulders, I don't know. A few more minutes of silence. "Do you want to watch TV?" Another shrug, maybe. "Are you hungry?" Val was about to shrug again when her stomach decided to speak up. Her hands made it to her stomach and her face got embarrassed. "I guess that's a yes. Your mom made you some soup this morning when you were still asleep. I'll get you a bowl. I'll be right back." And then he left again.

Val sighed. _Is he going to do that all day? He better not. I enjoy his company. I enjoy him sitting next to me in class. I enjoy our time we have together alone. I enjoy doing homework and class projects with him. I even enjoyed being locked in the Chemistry Lab with him that one day last year. He just makes me happy inside. I wish he feels the same way about me that I feel for him._ She sighed again and looked down on her messed up bedsheets. She was about to get up to straighten them when Parker came back in, complete with a tray with a bowl of soup, a napkin, a spoon, a full glass of water (Val looked at the other full glass of water that was still on her bedside table), and...a flower?

"Let me get that." Parker gently put the tray down on Val's desk and straightened her bedsheets so it draped over the side of her bed, instead of being scrunched up on her bed. Val watched him as he did so. "There. Better?" Val could only nod. "Good." Parker grabbed the tray and placed it on her lap. "Be careful. The soup is still hot. I don't want you to burn your tongue." Val gave him a funny look but nodded again when she saw the steam coming from the bowl in front of her. She slowly lifted the spoon, gathered a little bit of the soup, and lightly blew on the hot liquid. Then she gently tilted the spoon up to her mouth and swallowed the homemade chicken soup. Val closed her eyes as the warm-almost-hot liquid trickled down her throat and warming her stomach. "Is it good?"

Val managed to get out a "mm hmm" before scooping another spoonful of soup. She hadn't eaten in over 12 hours and she was starving. Parker watched as she started slurping the soup and chewing on all the chicken pieces and vegetables. It has a soothing feeling in her stomach that only could be described as satisfaction after eating.

10 minutes later, she scooped the last of her soup into her mouth before handing the empty bowl to Parker, who placed the bowl on her desk. Val took the napkin and patted her lips of any remaining chicken soup that might had been left when she picked up the bowl and started slurping the remainder of the soup. The saltiness from the soup made her body need water to wash it all away so she grabbed the glass of water on the tray, not remembering she had a full glass on her bedside table, and drank the glass in 5 large gulps. "You want some more?" Parker asked, gesturing to the empty bowl of soup. Val grinned and nodded. "I'll be back with another bowl." Val held out her hand to grab Parker's wrist. The contact made both of their hearts skip a beat. "Do you want something else?" Val bit her lip before letting go of Parker's wrist to pick up the tray that was sitting on her lap and place it beside her on her bed. Then she removed her bedsheets and blankets over her body to reveal purple pajama pants with little chemistry beakers on them. Parker's eyes widened at her sudden urge to get out of bed but he didn't stop her. Instead, he helped her stand up in case she had trouble. "Here, let me help before you fall." He grabbed her hand and pulled her up a little too fast that she stumbled and almost fell back on her bed again. Thankfully, Parker held on tight and pulled her again. This time, he grabbed her other hand and pulled her up. Val tried again until she was face to face with Parker. Their eyes met and Parker could've told her right then and there...but he didn't.

They stared at each other for a few silent moments before Parker cleared his throat. "We should, umm." He cleared his throat again. "We should go downstairs." Val could only nod at his words before he released his hands from hers, much to her disappointment, and grabbed the empty bowl that was still sitting on her desk. He made his way to her bedroom door before gesturing for her to go first. Val smiled a "thanks" to him and he nodded in acknowledgement. Even at her worst, he still treated her like a guy treats the girl he likes. He smiled as he followed her downstairs and into the kitchen. He finally knew why she was acting weird on Monday. He decided that it was worth it in the end.

* * *

 _Yeah, so I'm just going to leave it at there for now._


	16. Chapter 16: Together, Forever

_I can't believe that I haven't written anything since before I moved out! I've been busy unpacking the dozen boxes I brought home from school and going on afternoon trips to craft stores, grocery stores, and Costco._

 _I'm currently home alone for another hour as my mom and sister are at a play that I didn't want to go to. I'm hoping to get some writing done tonight before they come back._

 _My camera broke a few weeks ago at school so I can't make new videos. Any new videos right now are coming from my iPad so the quality isn't the greatest but it's the best I have right now. I'm really hoping to get a new camera this summer so I can start vlogging again. It feels weird not vlogging but I guess my life right now isn't all that exciting._

 _It turns out I don't have to take a summer class! Yay! Now I can focus on (hopefully) learning how to drive and get my license. One week in and I haven't done anything about it. I'm probably going to take online classes and then take the test. My driving readers, what do you suggest?_

 _My cousin's getting married in 2 weeks so I may publish another chapter or two before then. I don't know. We'll see what ends up happening._

 _Here's chapter 16. As always, I don't own anything except Mrs Wishart and this story._

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Together, Forever (Tuesday still)**

Parker and Val spent the rest of the morning talking, or rather he was talking and she nodded or shook her head when needed. At times when she needed or wanted something, she would text him or write it down for him on a piece of paper. When this happened, he would agree most times, but when he didn't, she pouted, which he found so cute.

It was around 10am when she started getting sleepy while watching some cartoons from her childhood. She was snuggled next to Parker with a large fleece blanket on top of her. Her nose was still red-ish but at least she didn't have a fever anymore. Most of her sickness had gone down but she was still coughing and sneezing occasionally. Parker always made sure she had a full glass of water, her Vitamin C supplements, and a box of tissues at an arm's reach. His arm was wrapped around her shoulder and her head was resting on his shoulder, watching the kids cartoon on the TV screen. Occasionally, he would hear her giggle at the funny stunts, provided by the comic relief character. At least her mind was focused on the TV screen and not on her sickness. Eventually, the giggling stopped and all he could hear from her were the steadiness of her breaths. She had fallen asleep, once again, on his shoulder. _(Apparently I have a thing for having Val falling asleep on Parker's shoulder. Kind of how Kelsi falls asleep on Ryan in "Pulling Together" by Awahili)_ It wasn't like he didn't mind. He honestly didn't mind at all. He was relieved that his shoulder was comfortable enough to act as an alternative to a pillow. He dared not to wake her up now that there wasn't anything that was going to interrupt them.

Eventually, Parker heard the door of a car slam shut and the front door knob turn to reveal Mrs Wishart with 2 bags of groceries. The woman looked around and saw the position the two high schoolers were in. Parker put a finger to his lips, indicating to her to stay quiet. The woman nodded and there was a twinkle in her eye. She resumed to make her way to the kitchen to put her groceries away.

Parker could tell that Mrs Wishart was doing her best to be as quiet as she could but there were a couple incidents where something fell and there was a large sound on the linoleum floor. Parker jerked slightly at the sudden sound, afraid that it would wake Val. Fortunately, Val just stirred in her sleep and let out a soft moan. She cozied closer to Parker and Parker stroked her shoulder with his thumb. She let out a long sigh and a smile crept on her lips. Neither of them wanted to pull away.

Reality hit Parker when he heard the sound of a shuffling of feet coming from the kitchen area. _Oh, yeah. Mrs Wishart is also here._ A frown had slowly replaced his grin when he remembered that they weren't alone anymore.

The shuffling soon became louder and louder and soon, Mrs Wishart had made her way to the pair in the living room. The cartoons long forgotten, the woman bent down in front of her daughter and felt her forehead with the palm of her hand, then the back of the hand. "Good. It feels like she doesn't have a fever anymore."

 _Psh. I already knew that._ Parker thought but he didn't say out loud, afraid that he might offend his future girlfriend's mother. Instead, he said, "Oh, that's good."

"Are you okay like that, Parker?" Mrs Wishart gestured to the position the two were in.

"Huh?" Parker's eyes stopped gazing at Val's sleeping form to meet the eyes of the older woman. "Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm fine." This was the longest and closest contact they've ever had and Parker wasn't ready to let go yet. It felt just right.

"Alright. I'll leave you two alone. And let me know if you need anything. I'll be upstairs in my office." Mrs Wishart chucked at Parker's confused face. "It's the last door at the end of the hallway. It has a whiteboard nailed to the door. You can't miss it."

Parker nodded a "thanks" and went back to watching the kids cartoons that he hasn't watched in almost 8 years. Apparently there's a bald guy hitting himself repetitively with a rubber bat. _This is so stupid. Why did I even like this kind of thing?_ He grabbed the remote from the coffee table and started flipping through the channels. _News, news, Spanish channel, game show, news, Korean drama, kids cartoons, news, music channel, old shows mom and dad watch, crime show, news, game show, news… There's nothing good on!_ Parker was almost at a total lost when he came upon a show with two girls, one with with pink hair and the other with purple hair. _(Anyone know what this show is?)_ _I haven't seen this show in a long time!_ Parker contemplated whether he should watch his favorite show or not. His eyes looked toward his right. Val was still asleep. A smile crept on his lips as the theme song was ending. "Together, forever. We're Linda and Heather. Best friends!"

* * *

 _So, yeah. Val's starting to feel better. This chapter was kind of inspired by "Camille's Medicine" by Fish Stick Friday. I bet you guys were expecting something different from the title!_


	17. Chapter 17: Guilty Pleasures

_Oh my gosh! I finally have some time to publish another chapter and write! My mom and sister left to go to the city to take care of some things and I had to stay home to take care of the kitties. I have the house to myself for 14 hours! I'm using that time to my advantage by writing as much as I can! I've been putting off continuing this story for about a week because I started writing another Ryelsi story (the title is in my bio) and I was so caught up with that story that I kind of forgot about this one._

 _I'm putting my Ryelsi story on temporary pause right now to (hopefully) finish this story. I just started chapter 18 and it is STILL Tuesday. This story is getting longer and longer by the minute!_

 _I don't own anything and one of my kitties is currently meowing his head off, hoping to get a post-dinner snack._

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Guilty Pleasures (Tuesday still)**

Val woke up to two voices that she heard too many times. She grumbled to herself. _Not them!_ Victor made their parents record every single episode because he loved them so much. His dream is to one day meet them and hopefully be in an episode. She slowly opened her eyes and lifted her head. She did NOT expect to see Parker's eyes lit up at the sound of the two girls.

Parker jumped slightly at the sudden weight that was now lifted off his shoulder and immediately grabbed the remote to change it to a different channel. "Whatcha watchin'?" Val asked. She was obviously interested why he changed the channel so fast.

Parker cleared his throat. "Just some story about this guy who can't find his dog." Val's eyes darted toward the TV screen, showing a hit-and-run that was currently taking place in a different part of LA. _Yeah, that's definitely a story about a guy who lost his dog. You're a genius, Parker._

"Can we watch something else? I'm not all that into news stories."

"Sure." He switched to a channel that only spoke in Spanish. He was obviously trying to hide the fact that likes loves "Linda and Heather." It's such a girly show. He would be caught dead if he knew that Val knew that he enjoyed watching it. That's the last thing he wanted her to know about him, that "Linda and Heather" is his guilty pleasure. The men on the screen were talking so fast that neither Parker nor Val could understand them. Sure, they took Spanish at BOOMS but neither of them were fluent enough to understand the fast conversation between the two men on the TV. _(My suitemate could probably understand them)_

"I can't understand them." Parker pressed the "up" button and the TV switched programs. Another news show. Next channel. An old game show with people in outfits that Parker thought that they were questioning their sexuality. The thought made Parker shutter a little bit before he changed channels again. This time, it was a crime show that his mother enjoyed watching. The show made Val sit up straighter. Parker wasn't sure if this was a sign to keep the channel or switch. Val seemed interested in the show so he put the remote down and stretched his arm across the couch behind where Val was sitting.

It was a good 5 minutes of them sitting there, Val's eyes were on the TV and Parker's eyes were on Val, before Parker leaned forward and grabbed the glass full of water from the coffee table. "Now that you're awake, how about you drink some water?" Val took her eyes off the screen and sighed defeatedly before taking the glass from Parker's hand and sipping the cool liquid. When she was finished, she handed Parker the glass and he set it back down.

Another 5 minutes passed before Val turned to Parker during a commercial. "What were you watching, you know, before I woke up and you switched the channel to the news?" Parker bit his lip, his heart beating out of his chest, and his hands tensed up into a ball. He didn't know how to answer that. He decided to play dumb.

"Nothing."

"Parker, I know you were watching a show before I woke up. Now, what was that show?"

He sighed in defeat. He wasn't going to get away with it as long as Val kept asking. He took a deep breath. "The show is called 'Linda and Heather'."

"Why were you watching it?" Val honestly wanted to know.

"Because," Parker's eyes looked around the Wishart living room before stopping on Val's face, "back in Wisconsin, I really liked that show. I was afraid that all my friends would make fun of me of watching a 'girly' show. It turns out that they also enjoyed watching it. When I came to LA, Liv got a guest role on the show and I could hardly contain myself when I was on the set." Parker smiled at the memory. "I haven't really watched it since because they finished the series last year. Every now and then, they play reruns and I watch them if it's on. When I found out that it was playing this morning just before you woke up, I couldn't contain myself so I continued to watch it until you woke up."

"Why did you switch it so fast?"

"What's with all the 'why' questions?"

"I'm just curious but if you don't want to answer them, that's ok." Val's head look down at her hands. Parker felt guilty upon hearing this.

Parker took another deep breath. "I was afraid that if you found out that I liked the show, you'd stop wanting to be my friend and have nothing to do with me." His eyes wandered from Val's face to the window on opposite side of the room.

"Parker, look at me." He face turned toward her. "You are one of my best friends and I don't think I would stop being your friend anytime soon."

Parker took in her words. 'Best friend.' He didn't really like the sound of it but at least it was better than 'not-friends-at-all.' _Two days. In two days, I'll tell her everything._ Parker was actually considering telling her right then and there, since she was slowly getting better. Her fever was gone; her nose was getting less red; her face was going back to the normal color; even her hands, which he noticed earlier were freezing cold, were warming up. He immediately put the thought aside as Val's eyes went back to the crime show. It was towards the end. The police were arresting the killer and the scene ended with the police team going out to get coffee and donuts to celebrate, yet another, closed case. When the credits rolled, Val turned back to him.

"Victor likes the show." Val admitted.

Parker thought about it for a few seconds. "Honestly, I don't see him as the crime show type but I guess everyone has their opinions and preference." He wasn't normally one to judge. If Victor liked crime shows, that was fine with him but why was Val telling him?

Val suppressed a small giggle. "I mean, he likes 'Linda and Heather'."

This surprised Parker. He leaned back in shock and raised his eyebrows. "Really? I don't see him as a girly show type either? Then again, I watch the show."

Val's smile never left her face from Parker's reaction. "He kind of stumbled upon it one day and couldn't get enough of it. He started binge watching the series. He even made us record each episode so he could watch it again." _(This is kind of how I discovered "Liv and Maddie." I found out that Jordan Fisher was in it as Holden and only watched the episodes that Jordan was in. I soon found out that the show isn't all that bad so I started watching the series from the beginning and fell in love. I don't record the episodes. Instead, I watch the episodes using a website I use when I want to watch movies and TV shows for free in HD without watching it on DVD. Sometimes the movie or TV show I want to watch isn't on the website so I look for it on YouTube, where it usually is.)_

"Do...do you watch it?"

"Not really. I don't really watch those kinds of shows but if it's on and there's nothing else on, I'll watch it." Parker frowned at her response. He was really hoping in the back of his mind that she would say that she does watch the show, but since she said that she didn't, he frowned. Val noticed his expression and asked him, "Are you okay?"

Parker snapped out of his gaze and shook his head to bring him back to reality. He's been doing that lately. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I was just expecting you to watch it."

"Parker, being friends doesn't mean we have to like the same exact things. Friends can like different things." Parker gulped. There it goes again, the term he loathed, 'friends.' He hated that word. If it had 'girl' or 'boy' right in front of it, then he'd like it, but since it doesn't yet, he hated it.

Internally, Val was thinking the same thing. There wasn't a day that went by without expressing her feelings toward her friend, but crushing on one of your best friends, who happens to be a guy, would be so wrong. It took everything she had to not include 'boy' in front of every time she would tell him that they are 'friends.' It hurt her knowing that they aren't a couple and probably will never be as long as they know each other. She knew that she had feelings for him and she also knew that he felt something between them. She just didn't know how much he felt for her. She was going to tell him. She had to, could she?

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Parker, I have a confession to make." He turned toward her, giving her his full attention. _Gosh, this is hard. Now I know how guys feel all the time._ "I really like," Parker's eyes lit up a little, "bald eagles." Val rushed. She chickened out at the last minute and Parker's face fell. "It's a shame that they are endangered and they're our national symbol. I wish I could do something to save them."

Parker blinked once, twice, three times before speaking. His mind was going crazy when Val was about to confess her love for him, but that would be even crazier. _I can't believe what she was about to say! She loves me...she loves me not….she loves me...she loves me not...she loves me...she loves me not…_ He thought about taking the plunge and confessing his love for her, but instead he came up with "yeah, it's a shame" before turning his eyes back to the TV screen, where another crime show was starting.

* * *

 _I have a thing for crime shows (like Bones, NCIS, and Castle) so there might be a possibility that crime shows will appear in future stories._


	18. Chapter 18: I like it when you laugh

_My cousin's wedding was so fun! The actual ceremony was outside (it was near 100 degrees when it happened) and took about 15 minutes before the reception, which was in a large room with air conditioning._

 _I finally have time to write and publish another chapter! This story has been my main priority because I want to finish it! I'm currently working on chapter 20 and it is Wednesday. I'm thinking chapter 21 will be Val's birthday but I haven't written it yet so who knows! So far, the story is 65 pages on my GoogleDoc. I'm almost there! I have about 2 more chapters to write then I'm done writing this story!_

 _After I finish writing this story, I need to finish my Ryelsi story and a few other Pal stories._

 _I'm one of those people who gets up in the middle of the night to write down an idea before it escapes me. I've been continuously adding new GoogleDocs for each new story I come up with! It's insane._

 _Disclaimer: I don't own anything except this story and Val's mom._

* * *

 **Chapter 18: I like it when you laugh (Tuesday afternoon)**

There had been several more awkward pauses between Parker and Val and their 'almost relationship.' Val tried to confess two more times but chickened out both times, saying that she "really likes grizzly bears" and it was a "shame that they're extinct and they are on our state flag" the first time, and she "loves _Bits and Pieces_ because it's totally binge-worthy." Parker was about to confess but he remembered his plan for Thursday so he closed his mouth before saying anything else.

Other than that, the day was pretty quiet. He made sure she stayed hydrated and she made sure he rarely left her side. Whenever he would get up, she would get up too. When he went into the kitchen, she would follow. The only times where they wouldn't be seen together for more than a minute is when either of them used the restroom.

At around 4pm, there was a knock on the front door. Parker got out of his current position of his arm around Val's shoulder on the couch to open it. Val's eyes were glued to the TV. They were watching another crime show called _Forensics (This is a play-on word to "Bones," which I enjoy watching)._ Parker turned the doorknob and was surprised to see Finch on the other side. "Hey Parker. Your mom told me you were here."

"Finch!" Parker was all too excited to see his friend that he nearly jumped at him. "Come on in. Val, look who's here!" The long-haired brunette took her eyes off the TV screen and waved at her friend.

"Hi Finch. How's your day?" Val patted the seat next to her on the couch. Finch sat down and rubbed his hands together.

"Okay, I guess. I just came because neither of you were at school today. Is everything ok?" Parker and Val exchanged a glance before Parker spoke.

"Remember yesterday after school when I asked you about Val?" _(I know that was a long time ago, 5 chapters ago. I even barely remembered it)_. Finch nodded.

"Yeah and I told you that I didn't see her all day."

"Exactly. Well, this morning, it had come to my understanding that she was sick yesterday and I realized that she might had left early yesterday to see if she was okay."

"I did leave school yesterday, actually right before lunch, to go home and see the doctor." Val assured the two boys. "It turned out that I just had a cold and Parker's been so great today by helping me feel better." A smile crept on Parker's face. "I already feel better already."

"That's good. I don't think you want to be sick on your birthday," Finch joked.

"I don't think anyone wants to be sick on their birthday." Val agreed and the three friends shared a laugh. Parker couldn't help but notice how cute her laugh was. He hardly heard her laugh and when he did, he found it utterly adorable.

"I like it when you laugh," he praised his soon-to-be-girlfriend. _(This is like when Wen told Olivia in Lemonade Mouth "I like it when you smile" when they were writing "Determinate" in Olivia's backyard. This is where I got the title of this chapter from)._ Val blushed a little bit and gave him a smile that he could only describe as "cute." The two shared a look and Finch held the urge to grin bigger. He knew that they each had feelings for each other, they just wouldn't admit it. He knew Parker's idea would definitely make both of them very happy.

They must have been staring at each other for a long time because Finch rudely cleared his throat, indicating that he was still there and they should share their private moments, well, in private. It wasn't long before they heard footsteps coming from the stairs. "Oh good. Finch is here. I have to pick up Val's brothers from school. Violet should be home soon but in the meantime, don't break anything. I'll be back in an hour at most." And like that, Mrs Wishart was out the door.

There was a long silence after they heard the front door shut and the sound of a car engine pull out of the driveway. Finch decided to break the silence. "So," Val and Parker looked up, "what have you two been up to today?"

"I was basically sick all day. Parker came over this morning and gave me soup and water. We talked, we watched TV, we talked some more." Val decided to leave out the part where she almost confessed her feelings, unsure how both boys would react.

"And you slept an awful lot today." Parker remembered the position they were in that morning. Her curled up next to him. His arm around her shoulder. He took in every moment of that contact and he wouldn't trade it for anything else.

"Well, when you're sick, your body needs plenty of rest. I've probably been working too much and too hard that my body just got tired."

"That's a possibility." Parker bit his lip and looked up to the ceiling, as in deep thought. "But what about your fever?" Val nodded.

"Who knows what caused the fever?" She threw her arms around, careful not to hit Finch, in exaggeration. Unfortunately, she wasn't careful enough.

"Ouch!" Val turned around to see Finch rubbing his upper arm. "I didn't know that having one of my best friends be sick would mean me getting hurt so much." Val only let out a small giggle.

"Sorry Finch." She scooted herself so she was closer to him and started rubbing his arm. "Better?"

"Much. Thanks."

"Of course." As Parker watched the exchange go on between two of his best friends, he couldn't help but feel jealous. He didn't know where it came from. Perhaps it was watching his future girlfriend touch one of his first friends. Perhaps it was the fact that she was closer to Finch than she is to him. Perhaps it was showing a hidden exchange between two friends who had known each other for almost 3 years. Whatever it was, Parker had the urge to beat the living daylights out of Finch but he stopped himself before doing any damage.

He was taken out of his one-sided internal battle when Val suddenly stood up. She stretched her arms above her head, making her body look as long as possible. She let out a loud groan before bringing her arms back down. "I don't know about you two but I've been sitting down too much today. I think I need to stretch my legs. Walk with me?"

"Sure. I could go for a walk." Parker turned to Finch. "You coming with us?"

"Nah." Finch got up from his seat and started walking toward the front door. "I got too much homework for tomorrow but you two have fun! See you guys tomorrow." He grabbed his backpack, slugged it over his shoulder, and waved goodbye to his friends before walking back to his house.

Parker closed the door as Val went back to the couch to fold the fleece blanket that had been on top of her that day. "I should go upstairs and change." She looked down at her purple pajamas. Both of them held back a chuckle.

"Unless you want to go outside in your pajamas, yeah, I think that's a good idea." Parker couldn't hold it any longer so he burst out laughing, causing Val to join him. Soon, they were both holding their stomachs, complaining that it hurt and their cheeks were killing them. In an excuse to escape the laugh fest that was going on, Val headed upstairs to change into proper outdoor clothes for walking in with your high school crush.

10 minutes later, Val came down in a green sweatshirt that said "Reuse Because You Can't Recycle the Planet" _(I have a shirt that says this that is based on a film I watched in January)_ , jeans, and red high tops. On her head was a purple beanie. "Let's go!" Parker opened the door for her and gestured for her to go first.

"After you, milady"

"'Milady?' Isn't that a bit formal?" Of course, Val didn't mind being called 'milady,' especially when it was Parker who called her that. She walked out of the threshold and Parker followed. He closed the door behind him.

"It is but chivalry is not dead!" Val only giggled at Parker's attempt to use trendy phrases.

"Whatever you say Parker." Parker only grinned.

The majority of the walk was in silence. They walked side by side, shoulder to shoulder _(Haha! Get it? "Power of Two" lyrics! I didn't even realize it!)_. Their fingers would occasionally brush against one another. Each time this happened, both couldn't help it but feel tingles up their arms. Eventually, Val started blushing and slowly slowed her pace so she was walking behind Parker, instead of next to him. Parker noticed this and slowed his pace so they were walking together again. To make things easier, he decided to take the plunge and purposely touched Val's hand. Val looked up at him and gave him a small smile. Gosh, he loved her smile. He could have the worst of days and all she could do was smile and all of his worries would float away. Did he mention that he loved her laugh? He loved everything about her. He loved her competitive nature and passion for all things science. He loved when she would occasionally braid her hair so it wouldn't get in her way when she was doing things. He loved that she spends two hours each week volunteering at the local animal rescue. He loved that he could talk to her about almost anything. He loved that she could trust him with secrets. He loved that she would go to him when she wanted to complain about her brothers. Yeah, you could say that he loved her.

Val was being shy when he intentionally touched his hand with hers. She tucked some of her hair behind her ear and shyly looked at Parker. He only smiled back. He felt the electricity through his body every time they touched. It took everything he had to grab her hand and lace their fingers together. He had to fight the urge to kiss her and tell her that he loved her. It would all be worth it, if only he could wait two more days.

Finally, Val spoke up. "You know Parker, you didn't really have to stay with me all day. You could have went to school instead." Parker gazed at her in admiration. He knew that he didn't have to but he wanted to, hoping that it was all worth it.

"I know but I wanted to." This only made Val blush.

"But why?"

Parker bit his lip. He spent a good few minutes thinking about it. "I can't tell you." Val raised her eyebrow. "I promise you will know by the end of this week." He knew that if she asked again, he would break and he couldn't let that happen because him and the guys have spent too much time rehearsing that it couldn't be thrown away now. _(This part was inspired by chapter 8 of "Waldorf Astoria" by melbelle310)_. Val only nodded before staying quiet for a while. The two were back to walking in silence.

It wasn't until they came to a park. It was a different park than the one they went to only a few days prior. _(This was the park from chapter 6. It feels like forever now!)_ Unlike that park, this park had a huge grassy field and a playground, fully equipped with swings, a slide, and monkey bars. Once Val caught sight of the swings, she took off in a sprint across the grassy meadow. "Last one to the swings has to push," she shouted over her shoulder. Parker shook his head and ran after her. Unfortunately when he got to the swings, Val was already sitting on one, waiting to be pushed. "I thought you'd never get here." Parker pretended to pout and Val let out a giggle. He walked behind her and drew the swing that she was sitting on back before letting go. He pushed her a few times. When she was high enough, he stopped pushing her, only to sit on the swing next to hers and started swinging. _(I took this idea from chapter 19 of "Pulling Together" by Awahili so the idea is from them)._ Both Val and Parker were enjoying the moment they had, acting like there wasn't a care in the world. Val was laughing from the adrenaline rush of swinging higher and higher. It's been nearly 10 years since she was last on the swings. She forgot how free she felt when the wind rushed through her brown hair.

Somewhere along the way, her purple beanie fell off her head and both teens stopped swinging. Parker picked up her hat and gently placed it on the top of her head, right where it was supposed to be. Val shyly looked at the ground before looking into Parker's eyes. He gave her a charming smile as he tucked some stray hairs behind her ear and caressing her face in his hands. Gosh, did she look beautiful. He could look at her all day and never get tired of it. He tried to memorize every feature on her but came to the conclusion that he couldn't due to if he looked at her for too long at one time, he would look like a creep so he looked down on the wood chips below his shoes and removed his hands from her face. He definitely felt embarrassed now. "Sorry 'bout that...but your hat…" Parker tried to find the right words.

"Thanks," Val blushed while a curtain of her hair fell over half her face, attempting to conceal the blush. Parker's hands reached up and pushed the hair so he could see her bright, blue eyes that he loved seeing every day. This made Val blush harder and her heart beat faster than it already was. Their faces were so close, Val could feel his breath. "Thanks for everything," she whispered.

"There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you," Parker assured her. She felt so touched by his words that a tear escaped her eyes and he wiped it dry with his thumb.

Suddenly, as if from instinct, Parker crashed his lips into hers. At first, Val was caught by surprise but as she was about to kiss him back, Parker pulled away quickly. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't know what I was thinking. Umm. I have to go." And then, he ran off, leaving Val shocked first from the kiss then from his sudden escape.

"What just happened?" Val wondered before heading back home.

* * *

 _Duh duh duhhhhhhh! What will happen next?_

 _I couldn't help myself so I added the kiss! You likey?_


	19. Chapter 19: Boys are weird

_This the last of Tuesday, I promise. There will be at least 3 more chapters. I'm currently writing chapters 20, 21, and 22 and I'll hopefully finish writing this story today. I have a few hours at home because mom's at a play and my sister's at work. I promise there will be more kisses too. Here's my plan for the rest of the story:_

 _ **Chapter 20** : Wednesday, Val's back at school and has a special discussion with Jessica and Melody (remember them?), while the guys have one last rehearsal before the big performance_

 _ **Chapter 21** : Thursday, Val's birthday and the performance! **Spoiler** : THERE'S A KISS!_

 _ **Chapter 22** : Saturday, Val's 18th birthday and she spends it with Parker. They've been an official couple for one year._

 _After that, I'm pretty much done with the story unless you guys want me to continue, which I don't mind continuing, it's just I have a hundred more stories that I need to write._

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Boys are weird (Tuesday evening)**

Once Val got through her front door, her mom, Violet, Vance, Vincent, and Victor were already home. All of them were surprised that Val was recovering so fast. Nearly 24 hours ago, she had a high fever, coughed and sneezed every 5 minutes, had a raspy voice, and couldn't get out of bed. She now didn't have a fever, her nose had turned back to its normal color, her voice was back, and she was up and walking again. Mrs Wishard had a sneaky suspicion that one of the reasons was a certain brown eyed, brown haired boy Val insists that they are "just friends" but know that it's a straight up lie.

"Where's Parker?" her mother asked, looking up from her magazine.

"Oh, he, ummm." Val couldn't tell her what happened just 10 minutes ago. "He had to go home, for dinner," she added as an afterthought.

"Oh that's a shame. Well, you'll see him tomorrow, though. Since you're feeling better, I think you should be able to go to school tomorrow." Val could only nod before trudging upstairs to reflect on her day that started out terrible, then became amazing, then ended up confusing. She flopped on her bed with a huge sigh. She didn't nice a pair of brown eyes leaning against the doorframe of her bedroom.

"Something happened today while I was at work so spill." Violet noticed right away something was up, she just didn't know what. Val's head jerked up at the sound of her older sister. She sighed again. She knew that Violet wasn't going to leave until she got the information she wanted.

"My mind has just been a rollercoaster of emotions today. I feel like my head is spinning," she brought her hands to either side of her head.

"But you were just sick in bed all day. Why were there so many emotions?" Violet sat on the edge of her sister's bed.

"I was sick in bed until Parker came and spent the whole day taking care of me." The mere mention of his name made her stomach turn into butterflies and Violet's face grow a smile. "He was great. He gave me food. He watched TV with me. We talked. He made sure I stayed hydrated. He was so amazing today."

"Then why were there so many emotions?" Violet repeated.

Val sighed. She would have to tell Violet sooner or later. "We went out for a walk when I was feeling better. We made it to that playground we used to go to when we were kids, the one with the swings and the giant grassy area. Remember that one?" Violet nodded, remembering all the memories she had when they were younger and when Victor was only a toddler and Vincent was just a baby. Vance hadn't been born yet. "Well, we were swinging, not having a care in the world, and my hat fell off. We both got off the swings and he put it on my head. Stuff happened and…" she took a deep breath, not wanting to share this piece of information but having it being Violet, it would seem that she would have to, "he kissed me."

"Wait, what? He...kissed you?!" Violet couldn't believe her ears. She knew that they would become a couple on Thursday, but a kiss two days early? A kiss wasn't even in the plan for Thursday!

"Yeah, but he ran away from me before I could react." Val sounded disappointed. She didn't like the idea that her crush kissed her and then have them run away from her. She sighed. Maybe turning 17 wouldn't be so bad, afterall.

Meanwhile, Parker had just gotten through the door and he was out of breath. He had been running nonstop from the park to Aunt Dena's house. Those years of soccer he had as a kid sure came in handy at times like these. He swallowed as he made his way to the blue couch he had been accustomed to and landed face first on the cushion.

"Parker, what are you doing here? I thought you were at Val's." Parker lifted his head only slightly to see Liv, but he didn't really have to see who was talking. He could identify Liv's voice from a crowd of a thousand strangers, it was that distinctive and slightly annoying, but he wasn't going to admit that to her.

Parker sat up on the couch. "I was but things happened and now she hates me."

"Hate you?" Liv asked as if it was the most impossible thing in the world. "Why would Val, the girl you've liked for nearly two years, hate you?"

He sighed and rubbed his hands together. He would have to spill it out sooner or later, but he was hoping that it'll be later, much later. "I kissed her," he said simply.

"You kissed her?" Biting his lip, Parker nodded. "That wasn't even part of your plan for Thursday. Why did you kiss her?"

"I didn't know what came over me. One minute I'm admiring her beauty, the next minute my lips are on hers." Liv crossed her arms.

"Well, what was her reaction when you kissed her?" Parker shrugged his shoulders.

"I honestly don't know because I immediately pulled back and ran home. I didn't give her much of a chance to see her reaction"

"So you just ran?" Parker nodded. The more he thought about it, the more guilty he became. He knew he liked Val. He also knew that she had some feelings towards him. He just didn't know how much she felt towards him. Liv made her way next to him on the couch. She sat down. "Well, you know what you have to do now, right?" Parker sighed and nodded again.

"I do but can it wait? I'm a little overwhelmed with wth everything that happened today and I left my backpack at Val's. I don't know how she'll react when I suddenly come over, ask for my backpack, and then leave again. I think I'll just pick it up tomorrow or something." And with that, he stood up and made his way to his bedroom. Liv watched him intently before pulling out her phone and typing a quick text.

20 minutes later, there was a knock on the front door and Liv wasn't surprised to see Violet on the other side with Parker's familiar black backpack. "Thanks for doing this, Vi"

"No problem. Is there anything else I can do?"

"I don't think so. Did you hear what happened?"

"You mean what happened at the park?"

"The park? What does the park have to do with anything?"

"He kissed her at the park". Liv's eyebrows shot up. She shook her head.

"All he told me was that he kissed her. He never said anything about any park." She sighed. "That boy. Sometimes I feel like strangling him when he doesn't tell me these kinds of things"

"I feel the same way but I have to pry the information from Val until I get what I want. She's so used to it that I think she does it out of habit." Liv chuckled a bit.

"I wish Parker would do the same." She sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "Then again, boys are weird." Violet nodded in agreement. She had 3 younger brothers under the age of 15 and they all do pretty weird things. One could say that it's like a zoo when Victor poops with the door open.

"Boys are weird." Violet said before leaving the Rooney household.

* * *

 _Sooo... Another Liv and Violet moment! I just love how they are so supportive of their little siblings getting together because they are meant to be together. Go Team Pal!_


	20. Chapter 20: Friends-ish

_I swear, this story wasn't supposed to be this long. It was supposed to be long, just not this long. Originally, I had each day be one chapter. I promise that there are only 3 chapters left. Here's my **updated** plan._

 ** _Chapter_ _21:_** _Day of Val's birthday, not the celebration._

 ** _Chapter 22:_** _Val's celebration_

 ** _Chapter 23:_** _One year later, Val's 18th birthday_

 _Let's hope I stick to this plan._

 _By request by pashotshot1, I have incorporated one of his ideas into this chapter. You're welcome._

 _I've said this before and I'm going to say it again. I-DON'T-OWN-ANYTHING. Well, I own Violet, Melody, Kyle, Jessica, Tyler, and this story BUT THAT'S IT!_

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Friends-ish (Wednesday)**

The next morning, Parker felt an odd feeling in his stomach. Yes, he and Val would walk to school as always, but why did he feel weird about it? _Oh, right! I kissed her, duh!_ He was surprised he came down for dinner and saw that his backpack sitting on his normal seat at the table. Liv had informed him that Violet had came earlier this drop it off. He made a mental note to thank the older Wishart sister when he had the chance.

He hesitated before knocking on the Wishart front door and was relieved when it was Violet who answered it. "Hey Violet. Thanks for dropping off my backpack yesterday."

"Oh no problem. Liv texted me and I came by. It was just an excuse to discuss with her what happened between you two," she grinned and then winked at him.

 _Great, now Violet knows what happened yesterday._ Parker mentally slapped himself before stepping into the Wishart residence. It felt weird being back. It felt like a taboo territory. Not 24 hours ago, he was having one of the greatest times of his life, spending all day with his crush. He dug his hands into his pockets and looked kind of lost. His ears perked up when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. _Time to face her._ He had it all planned out. He was going to apologize on the walk to school. She would accept his apology. They would go back to speaking terms and everything would be good between them.

"Hey." Parker's head lifted from the floor that he was staring at to see Val shyly smile at him. He managed to smile back.

"Hey Val. Are you ready?" He asked. She nodded and they both left the Wishart house. Like the gentleman he was, he opened the door for her and she walked out before him. She started to blush.

Violet watched them and shook her head before getting ready to leave for work. _Just one more day. One day more._ She sighed and gathered her bag.

Parker and Val had a safe and awkward distance between them. He thought about what he had planned on doing earlier but decided against it, thinking Val wouldn't want to talk about it. He was surprised when she spoke.

"Soooo…you want to talk about what happened yesterday?" she questioned, hoping he would want to. She honestly wanted to know the reason why he ran away. Everything was going perfectly between them until he ran.

Parker debated what he would say. On one hand, he was interested in how Val felt about the kiss. But on the other hand, he wasn't ready to share his feelings. No guy should ever share their feelings. Val saw his mind go a thousand miles a minute so she waited a few minutes. She took his long silence as a "no" and went back to not talking and continued walking.

They had just made it to BOOMS when Parker finally said "we really need to talk about what happened. We can talk about it after school." Val nodded before going to her locker.

"There you are!" Val turned around to see Jessica and Melody running up to her with their arms stretched out. Val didn't have much time to react before she was engulfed in a giant group hug, with her sandwiched between her two girl friends. "We missed you yesterday!"

"Where were you?" Melody wondered.

"Oh. I just was sick Monday and yesterday. I came to school Monday but had to leave before lunch. I spent all day yesterday recovering. I think I got a bug sometime last week. I feel better now."

"Well, we're glad you're back. It hasn't been the same without you." Jessica engulfed her in another hug. Melody followed suit. Val rolled her eyes.

"Guys, I've only been absent for a day and a half and you two are making it feel like I've been gone for a month or something."

"A girl that goes a day without her besties is a day wasted." Jessica declared and Melody nodded her head.

"Agreed. We must talk at lunch on what happened these last few days."

Val sighed as she walked to her first class. She hadn't seen Melody or Jessica since Friday. Wow. Had it really been 5 days since she last saw them? It felt like a lifetime ago.

The morning flew by pretty fast. Pretty soon, it was lunch time. Val found herself at her usual table with Melody and Jessica, along with their respective boyfriends, and Finch. Parker sat on the opposite side of the table, taking the furthest seat from Val. Jessica turned to her and Melody shifted in her seat so that she was facing Val. "So, we must know. What did you do these last few days?"

Val shrugged. "Well, Saturday, Violet and I went shopping for a birthday outfit and then went over to Skeeter's to hang out with him and Parker. Parker and I hung out afterwards."

"Oooooooooh. Parker and Val sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Val hid her face with her hands, hiding her blush, as Jessica and Melody sang. "First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes baby in a baby carriage!" Before then, Parker was stealing glances at Val but now, he refused to look at her, knowing the effect she would have on him if he did.

"Stop it. Anyways, Sunday wasn't very eventful. I just spent all day doing homework and helping my mom with with my birthday celebration. Oh! That reminds me." She took out her backpack and held out 6 purple envelopes. "You guys are invited to my birthday celebration tomorrow! Sorry this is so last minute. Mom made them Saturday and I basically wasn't here for two days so she gave them to me last night to give out today. I know I said turning 17 wasn't going to be all that special but I have a feeling that this year, it's going to be very special." She eyed Parker, who immediately looked down at his PB&J sandwich and didn't look up to meet her eyes. Val's face fell as she continued her whereabouts of the previous few days. "I came to school Monday morning but had to leave early because I wasn't feeling well. It turned out I was sick with a cold and a fever. I basically spent rest of the day in bed. I was still sick on Tuesday and Parker came over and took care of me." This earned another 'ooooooooooh' from Jessica and Melody but Val chose to ignore them this time. "We spent the whole day watching TV."

"And if I recall correctly, you were asleep half the day," Parker interrupted causing the whole table to burst out in giggles and Val blushing harder.

"Hey, the more rest I got, the faster I would recover," Val defended. They nodded. Val continued. "Finch came over afterwards to check up on us," she smiled at her friend, who smiled back, "then he left and Parker and I hung out some more. He left and I did some homework. That's pretty much it."

"Wow. You're week basically consisted of Parker. Is there something you haven't told us?" Melody gave a curious look between the two brown haired scientists.

"What? No. There isn't anything going on between us. We are just friends."

"That's what you always say," Jessica murmured under her breath. Before Val could respond, the bell rang, signaling that lunch was over.

Val and Parker had Chemistry together, literally. Chemistry was their only class that year that they had together and they would usually meet up after lunch to walk together to class. Finch, Jessica, Melody, Tyler, and Kyle gathered their bags and headed to their respective destinations, only Val and Parker remained. They had agreed to talk about what happened the day before that afternoon but Val couldn't wait another 3 hours. She walked up to Parker. "What happened yesterday? Why did you run off after you kissed me?" She demanded an answer and she demanded it now.

"I can't tell you. All I can say is that you'll know by Friday." And then he left, leaving Val alone in the cafeteria.

By the time Val got to Chemistry, Parker was already sitting down at his usual seat. Val took the seat next to him, her usual seat. He tried to overt eye contact with her and barely talked, let alone looked, at her during the hour of Chemistry class. When Val asked a question to their teacher, Parker tried his hardest to not look at her. Usually, he would face her, admiring her ability to be challenged intellectually and ask questions, but today, he looked everywhere but at Val.

Soon, the bell rung, signaling that the period was over and it was time to go to their next class. Parker quickly grabbed his belongings and bolted out the door without another word. _What's with Parker and running?_ Val thought. She dismissed the thought before going to her locker to put her lunch box away and to get her books for her last class.

The rest of the school day flew by. Val kept thinking about Parker and how he was so quiet that day. Thinking back, she remembered that she was acting the same way the previous week. _Could it be? No, that's impossible! But what happened yesterday?_ Thoughts kept Val busy on her walk alone from school. Parker didn't meet up at their usual spot so she waited for 10 minutes. When he didn't show up, she figured that he wasn't going to show up at all so she walked home alone instead.

Unbeknownst to Val, Parker had met up with Skeeter to discuss his problem.

"You kissed her?!" Skeeter half-whispered, half-yelled.

"Shh! I don't want the whole school to know." Parker shushed his best friend. They were at Skeeter's locker after school. "Anyways. I don't know what to do." He dug his hands in his pockets and sighed.

"Well, you like her, she likes you. What are you afraid of?" Parker shrugged his shoulders.

"Honestly, I don't know". He leaned up against some lockers beside Skeeter's locker. "I just want tomorrow to be over so we can skip the whole awkwardness between us and then become a couple."

"I hear you, man. I've been waiting a whole year for this to happen and you are finally making a move." Skeeter lightly punched Parker's shoulder.

"Yeah." Parker couldn't help the smile that was forming on his face. He had been waiting so long and he was going to ask her. He had it all planned out. They would perform the dance during her party, he would ask her, she would accept, and they would live happily ever after. They would be known to the world as Pal. "Are you coming to rehearsal today? We need to do last minute cleanups before tomorrow."

"Of course! Let's go!" Skeeter shut his locker door and walked to the Rooney household with his best friend.

Parker felt more comfortable walking with Skeeter than when he walked with Finch only a couple days ago _(but really it's 8 chapters ago)._ Their conversation consisted of mainly Val and Parker and how they were meant to be together forever. Parker tried to hide his sudden blush while Skeeter went on and on about Pal.

They finally made it to the dance studio that Holden reserved. Through some weird connection through his brother, Holden was able to reserve a room at a local dance studio for their final rehearsal before the big performance the next day. They were both in awe as they stepped into the room where Holden said to go into. The room was pretty big with one wall consisting of full length mirrors and a ballet bar on an adjacent wall. On the other adjacent wall stood a black upright piano and shelves where dancers could put their belongings, including their shoes. The last wall had large windows that brought in natural sunlight and could be opened, when needed.

When they got there, Holden was at the piano and Liv was behind him, her hands on his shoulders and her eyes closed as if she was mesmerized by her boyfriend's piano playing skills. Holden stopped playing and Liv opened her eyes when they heard footsteps on the hardwood floor. He stood up from the piano bench and walked over to the two high schoolers, his hands in his pockets. "So, what do you guys think?"

"Sweet Mother of Jesus! This place is awesome!" Parker shouted and Holden chucked. Skeeter was still in awe to say anything. Liv stepped forward.

"Now we just have to wait for Joey and Finch to get here and we can get started." As if on cue, both boys came running into the room but stopped dead in their tracks to notice that their practice room wasn't the Rooney living room anymore. "Great! Now we can start! Boys, take your places so we can do a dry run. After that, we can go through different parts of the dance to see what needs improvement. Sound good?" She drew a thumbs up while the guys nodded. Before they could take another step, Holden stepped in.

"Remember to take off your shoes when you're in this room. I promised Victoria that I'd keep her floor clean" _(Victoria is the name of Andie's actress)_. The other boys nodded as they slipped off their shoes and placed them in a corner of the room. They all took their positions and when they were ready, Holden nodded to Liv, who pressed 'play' on the music player. "In 5...6...7...8"

Val had flopped on her bed, once again, after walking home alone from school. Her brown locks flew all over her pillow but she didn't care. "Just admit it." Her head perked up to see Violet leaning against her doorframe, arms crossed.

"Admit what?"

"Admit you like him." Val knew who her sister was talking about but decided to play dumb.

"Like who?"

"You very much know who I'm talking about." Violet made her way to the edge of Val's bed while the younger sat up, her hair a complete mess.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Val lied and her heart beat right out of her chest.

"Parker?" Val's heart skipped a beat. "Why won't you admit it?"

"Because we are just friends," she defended but she knew that it wasn't true.

"You keep saying that and sooner or later, he's going to believe it." Violet sat down to face her sister. "Val, I've seen the way you look at him and how he looks at you. You two are definitely not 'just friends.' I can tell that he wants to be 'more than friends' and you want to also. You're just waiting for him to make the first move." Val sighed. She couldn't hold it any longer.

"Fine. Maybe I want us to be 'more than friends'." A smile crept on Violet's face upon hearing this. "I'm just afraid that we'll lose the friendship we have if we end up breaking up. I'm afraid of losing one of my best friends over something stupid." She looked down at her clasped hands. Violet put a hand on her shoulder in reassurance.

"Believe me. He probably feels the same way. Don't worry. I have a feeling he's going to do something very soon." Val's head shot up quick.

"Do you know something that I don't?" Violet stood up and made her way to the door.

"Maybe." She teased over her shoulder and sauntered to her room with a giant grin on her face. Val ran after her.

"Violet! Come back here and tell me what's going on!"

"Great practice guys! I couldn't be prouder of my boy band! I'll see you guys tomorrow for the final run through!" Parker waved 'good bye' to Finch and Skeeter, as they left the practice room 2 hours later. Everyone was out of breath and dripping sweat. Everyone, that is, except Liv. He turned to Holden and Liv. "I still can't believe that we're doing this."

"And it's all going to be worth it tomorrow!" Joey patted his little brother on the back. A single tear escaped his eye. "My baby brother's asking a girl to be his girlfriend!"

"They grow up so fast." Liv rested her head on her (sweaty) boyfriend's shoulder. Holden wrapped his arm around her.

"Guys. You've known for, like, a week now. Stop getting all emotional." Parker crossed his arms, sighed, and rolled his eyes. Does being in love always have to reduce a man's masculinity?

"I know but still." Liv held a hand over her chest and sighed dreamily. "Val's totally going to like it. You like her, she likes you, and everything's going to be perfect." Parker scratched behind his ear.

"Well, that's the plan."

Silence filled the room between the 3 Rooney's and the Dippledorf. It was getting close to dinnertime and none of them had time to work on homework yet because they had to practice. Holden finally broke the silence. "Well…" the 3 Rooney's looked up at him. "As much as I would like to stay, I need to work on a song for one of my classes and it's due Monday." He was studying songwriting at Los Angeles College of Music in Pasadena _(I literally researched "music college in Los Angeles" and found the result with the best reviews. He doesn't go to NYU in this story)._ "But I'll see you guys tomorrow." He kissed his girlfriend 'goodbye' and waved at the two boys before heading out.

"Do either of you need a ride home or..." Liv offered.

"I actually wouldn't mind a ride." Joey raised his hand. Liv turned to her baby brother. Even though he is taller than her, he would always be her baby brother.

"Parker?" He shook his head.

"Naw. You guys go on ahead. I need to do something first." Liv and Joey started to leave the room. Then Liv hollered over her shoulder.

"Don't stay out too late." Parker smirked and looked down at the ground. "And don't forget to close the windows, turn out the lights, and close the door when you leave." He nodded then his brother and sister were out the door. He heard the engine of Liv's car as it traveled farther and farther from the dance studio.

After a good, few, long minutes, he took a good look at himself at the mirror. His sweat was slowly decreasing but was still there. He probably smelled horrible, he'll have to take a shower when he got home. _Good hygiene impresses Val more than bad hygiene,_ he kept telling himself so he took the initiative to smell clean every time he saw her, which was every day. Ever since he knew that he liked Val, he had been using soap more often than he used to. Sometimes, he would apply a little bit of cologne to add some scent to himself. Whenever he did, Val would secretly take long whiffs of the cologne. It wasn't very secretly since he always noticed her smelling him. He wasn't sure if she liked the smell but if she did, he always kept a bottle of the same cologne in his room.

Back at the mirror, he noticed that his hair was ruffled up from all the spinning and choreography that his hair had started it's own choreography. He tried to fix it up but it was no use. It was just too messy.

He noticed sweat coming from his back, his armpits, and his chest. Dancing to the 4 minute song for 2 hours was tiring. Good thing they took a few breaks to allow them to catch their breaths, drink water, use the restroom, or to just rest. If they didn't take any breaks, he was sure that at least half of them would pass out from heat exhaustion and he didn't want that since they had less than 24 hours until they have to perform the whole thing. Nothing could go wrong now.

He shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought as he took one last look at himself in the mirror, sighed, and grabbed his things. He closed the 3 windows that they had opened an hour ago to let cool air in. He turned off the lights and closed the door, making sure it shut all the way. It was time to put his personal plan into action.

15 minutes later, he arrived at BOOMS. It was already getting dark but he could see his destination clearly. He approached the lime green locker that he knew it was hers. Locker number 47 ( _47 pertains to Season 4, Episode 7, "Stand Up a Rooney" which is where we see the Parker/Val relationship ship start to bloom)._ He carefully turned the dial of her locker combination, because Parker had needed something from his locker earlier in the year but he wasn't at school so he asked Val to get it. To level the playing field, Val had shared her locker combination. When he heard the click of the locker lock being unlocked _(try saying that 5 times as fast)_ , he eagerly opened the locker door and carefully placed the small box next to the notebooks and textbooks that he knew that she would need the next morning. He sighed contently as he closed the locker door. He took out the blue envelope with 'V-A-L' on the front in bold letters and kissed it before taping the envelope to the locker door. Satisfied, he headed back home.

It took him 24 minutes to get home, not that he was counting. He opened the door with a huge grin on his face. He had a good feeling for the rest of his life. He just hoped he could persuade Val in the morning.

* * *

 _I wonder what's in the box! I actually already know what's in the box. Do you? Give me your guess! I also know what's in the envelope. What do you think is in them?_


	21. Chapter 21: It can't be him

_Whoa! Is it July already? I'm halfway through summer vacation!_

 _I'm sorry you guys had to wait so long for this chapter but I promise that I'm almost done. I finished writing this chapter and chapter 22 the other day, so all I have to write is chapter 23 and then I'm FINISHED! Whew! I can't believe that it took me 4 months to write this. I started writing in March._

 _To make it up to you for waiting a long time, here's an extra long chapter that's about 10 pages long on my GoogleDoc._

 _As always, I only own this story, Violet, and the volunteers and staff members at the shelter Val volunteers at. Other than that, everything else goes to their respective owners._

* * *

 **Chapter 21: It can't be him (Thursday Morning)**

Val was eating her breakfast when she got the text and frowned. I _think I caught your bug. I won't be able to make it today. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you. I promise._ 'Promise' was a big word. She wasn't happy when she found out that her crush wasn't going to be at school that day, let alone the celebration afterwards. She sighed and continued eating her oatmeal.

10 minutes later, she had finished and was heading out the door to walk to school alone when she heard "Wait, Val." She turned to face her sister. "Let me drive you. It's cold today and I don't want you to catch another cold while walking to school." Sighing, Val gave in. "Great. Let me grab my stuff."

3 minutes later, Val was in the passenger's seat of her sister's Honda Civic. What usually took 20 minutes walking to BOOMS, took only 10 minutes in the car, but with morning school traffic, it took 18 minutes. Val got out of the car, said 'goodbye' to Violet, and headed to her locker. When she got to her lime green locker, she noticed a blue envelope with her name written on it in big, bold letters. She looked around to see if anyone was mysteriously near, but couldn't find anyone. She took the tape off and opened the envelope to reveal what looked like song lyrics.

 _Let me take a little moment to find the right words  
So when I kick it to you it ain't something that you've heard  
I don't know what kind of guy that you prefer  
But I know I gotta put myself forwards  
See I think got the kind of love that you deserve  
And I heard_

 _That you're looking for a boyfriend  
I see that  
Give me time, you know I'm gonna be that  
Don't be scared to come put your trust in me  
Can't you see all I really want to be  
Is your boyfriend  
Can't fight that  
Knock me down you know I'm coming right back  
I don't care at all what you done before  
All I really want is to be your_

 _Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend_

A tear nearly escaped Val's eyes as she read the lyrics over and over. No one had ever done something like this to her. She wondered who would do something so forward. She knew who she wanted it to be from but it couldn't be him. He was sick at home, thanks to her.

She tucked the envelope in the front pocket of her backpack and did her locker combination. When she opened her locker door, she was surprised to see a small red box sitting next to her morning books. Who knew her locker combination? As far as she knew, only Melody and Jessica knew because best friends share their locker combination. The thought of Parker also knowing the combination never crossed her mind.

She untied the neat, purple ribbon securing the box closed and was surprised to see a necklace with one half of a heart with 'his girl' engraved on it. One side looked like a jagged edge so the heart was incomplete. She turned the necklace around and saw that her initials 'V.W.' were engraved on the back. Underneath the necklace was a note that read "Happy Birthday, Val! I have the other half and I'll be wearing it today." There was an arrow on the bottom of the note that said to turn it over. She did and there was a much longer note on the other side. "I've been waiting for the right moment to ask you something but the moment had never come. I guess I'm too shy. Too scared. I've been afraid of rejection. I'm afraid that you wouldn't want us to become official. For the longest time, I had wanted to call you my girlfriend but I've never had the courage to ask you. Hopefully when I do, you won't push me away and reject me. That's my biggest fear. That the girl I've liked for nearly 2 years would reject me. It's just the worst thing I can imagine. I'm sorry I can't be there to ask you right now but hopefully when the time comes, you'll be mine." The note ended with a heart but it wasn't signed. She couldn't determine her admirer's handwriting because the note was typed.

She tried smelling the note to see if she can determine the smell. There was a faint scent of the cologne that Parker would wear on occasion. It was a smell that she knew and loved. She didn't know why but something about the cologne was intoxicating and she couldn't get enough of it. Whenever she could, she would take a good, long whiff of the cologne because that was the smell of the guy of her dreams. She tried to hide her whiff because she didn't want to be seen as creepy.

Her eyes widened at the sudden realization that there was a very high possibility that her secret admirer was Parker. But wait. Parker was sick. How was he able to get into her locker? Maybe her secret admirer wasn't Parker. The thought saddened her. Who could it be? She didn't know very many guys who liked her. According to Parker, she was a catch. Smart, pretty, outgoing, among other things. He once called her 'perfect' but that was last year. In reality, nobody's perfect. Everyone has their flaws. For one, she was really skinny for someone her age. Her clothing choices haven't changed in 3 years. She hasn't had her first kiss yet. Did what happened on Tuesday count toward her first kiss? It was more like a peck. It didn't linger very long and Parker had ran away afterwards.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the bell ring. She quickly clasped the necklace around her neck, put the notes back in her locker, and grabbed her morning books before heading to her first class. All morning, her thoughts kept reeling back to her secret admirer. Maybe it was Parker. She was hoping it was Parker. Then how did he get into her locker? Maybe he had asked Melody or Jessica to put the box in her locker for him.

The bell rang and it was time for lunch. When she approached her usual table, she was greeted with 'happy birthdays' and hugs from her friends, no less. She looked around to see if Parker felt any better and had come to school to tell her 'happy birthday' and to hug her but she couldn't see him. A frown replaced her excited face when she couldn't see the boy she loved.

Unbeknownst to her, Parker had gone to school that day, he was just in disguise. He was dressed in a long, navy trench coat and a brown fedora. When we was near Val, he would lower his hat and hide his face. He had noticed her movements that morning at her locker from a safe distance. He was noticing her look in her eye from afar in the cafeteria. He didn't like seeing his crush upset. He had the sudden urge to walk up to her and make an appearance but he dismissed it just as suddenly when he remembered his plan. He was going to tell her everything that afternoon at the celebration. Instead, his fingers made it to the necklace around his neck. It was half a heart with a jagged edge on one side that said "her guy." On the other side of the half-heart was his initials 'P.R.' He had it specially made so that no other necklace would fit her half.

The rest of the school day consisted of a few people saying 'happy birthday' to her and she replied with a measly 'thanks.' She didn't receive any letters, presents, or long notes from her secret admirer. She didn't even see him all day. She tightened her backpack straps and headed to the parking lot where Violet was waiting for her to drop her off at The Sam Simon Foundation _(I researched "Malibu animal rescue" and this came to be the best one that was closest to Malibu in the results. Malibu is where Dena's beach house resides, according to the Liv and Maddie wiki)_ for her weekly 2 hour volunteer job. She enjoyed being around the other volunteers and the animals. Usually she would be cleaning, recording, or other random chores but she didn't mind. Very rarely she would be at the front, taking the animals. She was usually in the back where all the cages were.

Violet pulled into the shelter parking lot 20 minutes later and Val got out. "I'll see you in 2 hours!" She couldn't help the giant grin in her face, knowing what was going to happen when Val finished. Val couldn't spend too much time thinking about the grin before she was greeted by the shelter staff, who were excited to see their youngest volunteer.

"Val! You're here! Happy birthday!" The receptionist was the first to see her and greeted her with a friendly smile. Val smiled back at the woman.

"Thanks Shelby." _(Shelby is the name of the actress who's the Maddie double, plays Heather in "Linda and Heather a Rooney", and is Lucas Adams' girlfriend. Lucas plays Josh)_

"How was your day so far?" Val shrugged.

"It's been pretty good. My friends said 'happy birthday' to me at school and I'm having a little celebration at my house after this." She decided to leave out the part where she received the little gifts at her locker that morning. The other woman's smile grew.

"Oh that's fantastic! Anyways, Jordan is in the back and you can get started." _(Jordan is Holden's actor. As you guys know, I'm sort of obsessed with Jordan Fisher. For those who didn't know, check out my bio, where I have listed 2 ships involving JP. I have also created 4 videos on my YouTube on my love for Jordan-1 dance video, 2 rants, and a cover)_

"Great! Thanks!" Val headed to the back, where she saw 3 other volunteers and their supervisor. When one of the volunteers looked up at her, Val was engulfed in hugs, pats on the back, high-fives, and 'happy birthdays' from them. That was one of the reasons why she loved volunteering. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly toward each other that to Val, they were like a second family. "Awww. Thanks guys. I feel so loved!"

"You are loved and are always welcome here. You know that, Val." Lauren, one of the other volunteers, told her. _(Lauren is Ruby's actress)_

"Of course I know that. That's why I come back each week." Val laughed. She had already finished her required community service hours to graduate during her freshman year. She just kept coming back because she loved it at the shelter. She loved seeing the good she did the for the community. She loved seeing all the animals that they rescued get adopted into families that would love and care for them. She loved goofing around with the other volunteers when they were supposed to be cleaning up a cage. She loved the bond that she created with each staff member and volunteer that she came across. She just loved it, period.

Jordan, Lauren, and the other volunteers had laughed along with her. That was another reason why she liked working at the shelter. Everyone there was so easy going and laid back that they sometimes would get off track from what they were supposed to be doing. "I'm glad you come back every week. Anyways here are your assignments for today. Val and Kim, cages. Lauren, inventory. And Steven…". The supervisor took a long look at the other man. "Just don't break anything." The girls ended up giggling, knowing very well of Steven's clumsiness. "I'm putting you outside in the yard and rotate the dogs every half hour. No more than 3 dogs at a time. Bring the toy bin and remember to put them on leashes between rotations." Lauren followed Jordan into the storage room, Val and Kim grabbed the cleaning supplies, and Steven headed into another room to, hopefully, grab the toy bin and extra leashes.

"Alright, we have an hour and a half before Val gets back. Let's run through the performance a few more times for anything **super** last minute." Liv ordered whole the guys sighed.

"I'll be glad when today's over. I didn't know performing one dance would be so straining." Finch sighed while rubbing his neck muscles. Skeeter nodded along with his friend.

"I know what you mean. Now that I've experienced it, I don't think I want to be part of a boy band after this. I think I'll stick with 'coolest kid at school' and 'King of Space Camp'." Parker only laughed.

"Don't worry guys. After this, I won't ask for anymore dance performances to impress a girl. I think once is enough." Liv came up behind him in a bear hug.

"Besides, you've already impressed her enough. Isn't it time to slow down a little bit on the impressing? You like her, she likes you, what's done is done." Parker's cheeks turned a little pink.

"And once you ask her, she would definitely say 'yes' and you two would live happily ever after!" Violet added with a dreamy sigh. Liv joined her. Both sisters were deep romantics and had shipped Pal since the beginning. The boys rolled their eyes but let the girls be the romantics they are.

"I sure hope so." Parker mumbled under his breath.

Val and Kim were in deep conversation about Val's new necklace. Kim had noticed it while they were cleaning one of the dog cages. "I also found a note along with it."

"Oooh! Do you have it now? Let me read it!" Val chuckled at Kim's enthusiasm to learn about Val's love life. She took the folded piece of paper from her back pocket of her jeans and handed it to Kim, who took it excitedly. She read it and squealed. "Eeeee! He's too afraid to ask you to be his! That is so adorable!" Val felt her cheeks start to get pink. "Do you know who it's from because I don't see a signature anywhere." Val shrugged.

"Honestly, I don't. There's someone who I _want_ it to be from." She said slowly. Kim smile grew bigger, if that was possible, and inched closer to Val.

"Oooh! Tell me! Tell me!" Val bit her lip and sighed. Kim was very much like Violet. Both very pretty. Both wanting to know about her love life. Both determined to get every single piece of information until they get everything they want to know. She have to tell her soon or Kim would keep forcing, rather than asking, the information out of Val.

"Well…" Gosh, how could she say this? Kim had never heard of him and was a little older that Val. Kim was just out of college, doing an internship at the shelter for 6 months before taking a full time job at the shelter. Like Val, Kim had volunteered at the shelter when she was in high school. She had enjoyed the experience so much that it was what she wanted to do for a living, so she chose a college close to the shelter and volunteered as much as she could between classes and studying.

"He goes to my school. I've known him for almost 2 years and had liked him for about a year now." Val tried to choose her words very carefully so she spoke very slowly. "He really likes science and can be very funny. He's really sweet and nice. He took care of me when I was sick earlier this week. He's been my friend for a while." She started getting a loss of words so she told Kim exactly what she thought of him. "He has these mesmerizing brown eyes and he sometimes wears this cologne that's intoxicatingly. He's the greatest guy and sometimes, I don't think I deserve him."

"Wow. He seems like a really cool guy."

"Valerie, Kimberly. Get back to work." Jordan shouted from the other side of the room. Val and Kim hunched over, embarrassed, before starting to giggle, a conversation they were used to.

"Alright, nice work everyone. Rest, freshen up, and meet back here in an hour for a final runthrough before the celebration." Everyone nodded before going their separate ways. Parker sat on the couch and ran his hands through his hair, extremely exhausted and nervous for the upcoming performance. Liv must have noticed because she looked over at him and sat down next to him.

"Don't worry, Parker. Everything will turn out great."

"I guess I'm a little nervous. I've never felt like this for anyone before. Is love always this exhausting?"

"It depends on the situation. For me and Holden, we had a rough journey but it all came through and it was worth it. Even when we broke up in Steven's Point, we always found a way back to each other. I think that's what's going to happen with you and Val. No matter what happens, you two would stay together because you guys are meant to be. Besides, remember our conversation last year about the dance?" A smile formed on Parker's face as he had a sudden interest in his hands, which were resting in his lap.

"Yeah. I was a bit clueless at the time. I didn't know what to feel until you basically rubbed it in my face." Liv gently nudged his arm.

"Hey. It wasn't my fault that you were so oblivious! I helped you realize your feelings for Val. You owe me one, baby brother." She got up from the couch to leave Parker alone with his thoughts and feelings.

"You ready for today?" Parker looked up and saw that Violet had taken Liv's place on the couch. He took a deep breath.

"Honestly, no. I've been waiting for a long time for the right moment but the moment never came. I'm just nervous on what her reaction would be. I've been wanting this for a while now. I can't turn back now." Violet chuckled.

"No, you can't. When Val walks through that door, you and the boys would be hidden in the back room. We will bring everyone to the backyard, where we have a little stage area set up. After that, you'll knock 'em dead and you and Val will live happily ever after! Sound good?" Parker could only nod at his crush's/future girlfriend's sister's enthusiasm for the upcoming couple. "Great! I have to pick up Val in about 45 minutes and then in a couple hours, you guys would be officially Pal!" Violet squealed as she got up and left him alone.

Parker was alone again on the couch, thinking about the day he just had and the days he will have. He really hated seeing her so down that day at school. Something about it made him reach for his half of the necklace. He thought about the day he bought it.

 _Flashback_

 _Parker wanted to get something special for Val's birthday. It had to make a statement. 'I want us to be more than friends. Will you be my girlfriend?' He has taken the bus into town to find the perfect gift. He spent most of the day looking from store to store, but couldn't find anything._

 _He decided to take the bus to the mall to see if he could find anything there. Again, he went from store to store. He couldn't find anything. He was at loss as he sat down on a bench in frustration. He took out his phone so he can text Liv to pick him up when he noticed it. It was like a calling. He had the sudden urge to stand up and head straight for a jewelry store that sells custom jewelry. He thought he heard angels singing when he opened the door._

 _"Welcome to Jenkin's Jewelry. Are you looking for anything in particular, sir?" Parker turned around to see a blonde woman, no older than 25, giving him a warm smile. He smiled back._

 _"No. I'm just looking." He informed her._

 _"Okay. My name is Chloe if you need any assistance." Parker nodded._

 _"Thank you." Chloe smiled and headed toward a different part of the store. Parker wandered around the store, admiring all the jewelry the store had. He saw things he didn't know girls wore on their bodies. His eyes made it to 2 necklaces that created a heart. One necklace said 'best' and the other said 'friends.' If separated, the necklaces would just be two halves with one side of each necklace have a jagged edge, and if someone were to put the jagged edges together, the heart would be whole again. He looked through the jewelry hook to see if they had other heart sayings. He found 'lil sis' and 'big sis'. He found a three piece necklace with 'best', 'friends', and 'forever'. He found 'his' and 'hers.' An idea hit him. "Excuse me, Chloe." The girl turned her head._

 _"Yes, sir. How may I be of assistance?"_

 _"Do you do engraving here?"_

 _"Yes we do for an additional price."_

 _"That's alright. I would like two necklaces just like these," he pointed to the heart-shaped necklaces, "with 'his guy' engraved on one and 'his gal' on the other."_

 _"That sounds good. Is this for a special someone?"_

 _"It is for someone special but we aren't official yet."_

 _Chloe's smile grew bigger. "This would be so cute to give to her. If you want, I can engrave your initials on the back for no extra charge."_

 _"They would be great! Thank you Chloe."_

 _"No problem." She took out a piece of paper and a pen and handed it to Parker. "Here. Write down what you want engraved so I won't forget and under each, write down your initials under your half and her initials under her half. I'll make a note to engrave the initials on the back. What kind of chain would you like?"_

 _"Anything you suggest?"_

 _Chloe gave no thought into the suggestion. She went with the chain that she goes to whenever a man asks about the chain. "I suggest the 18 inch Sterling Silver chain with a spring ring clasp. It's simple but elegant enough that she'll like it not matter what."_

 _"Alright. The 18 inch sterling silver chain it is."_

 _"Perfect. Will that be all for you today?"_

 _"Yes it is." Parker brought out his wallet, relieved that he answered the mysterious calling and finally found something for Val._

 _"Alright. With the engraving and the chain, your total today will be $43.95." Parker handed her two $20s and a $5. "Out of $45. Your change will be $1.05". She gave him a $1 and a nickel. "Would you like the necklaces gift wrapped?"_

 _"Just the one that says 'his gal' please"_

 _"Of course. The engraving would be done by the end of this week so come back anytime next week and tell somebody working here that you're here to pick up engraved necklaces. If I'm here, you can just come up to me and I'll remember."_

 _"Thank you Chloe." He turned and waved 'good bye' to the girl. She waved back._

 _"You're welcome. Have a nice day!"_

 _Parker had a huge grin on his face when he exited the store. He had found the absolute PERFECT gift for Val that could become his portal from 'best friend' to 'boyfriend". He texted Liv for a ride home and couldn't help the silly grin on his face the entire ride home. She noticed this but decided to not mention it because she wasn't sure if she wanted to know._

 _End Flashback_

Parker snapped out of the flashback when he heard Violet announced that she was going to pick up Val and that she'll be back in half an hour so everyone must be in position. He sighed as he heard the front door slam shut and the sound of a car engine turn on.

"Come on, dude. One more run through in the backyard and then change into your costume." Finch patted him on the back and lead him onto the 'stage' that will change his life forever.

"I just really hoping that he's the one with the other half." Val was waiting with Lauren at the end of the day. It was 5:30pm and the shelter had already closed a half hour ago but some of the volunteers and staff would stay an extra half hour to finish any last minute work that they were working on that day. She had informed Lauren on the necklace after Kim had sauntered out of the building wanting to learn all about what happened with Val and her Romantic Romeo the next time they saw each other. The girl had squealed so Val repeated the story of the necklace and the note she found in her locker that morning. Lauren immediately asked about the note, which Val reluctantly took out of her back pocket and handed it to the shorter brunette. No more than 3 minutes later, Lauren squealed and had a huge grin on her face, much like Kim's after she read the note.

"Don't worry. If it's meant to be, I'm sure he feels the same way and has the other half"

"I sure hope so. I don't want to get my hopes up if it's someone else". Val shuddered at the thought that it may not be Parker. She didn't even want to think of someone else. She wanted to be sure it was him. _But how did he get the necklace and note in my locker? They weren't there when I left yesterday afternoon._ Being a 'teenage Einstein,' she knew that things like that don't just turn up out of nowhere. They had to come from somewhere.

The sound of a car horn broke Val from her thoughts. She looked up to see a smiling-bigger-than-usual Violet in the driver's seat of her Honda Civic. "Well, see you next week, Lauren!" She waved 'good-bye' to her volunteering friend.

"See you!" Lauren called after Val. "And let me know how it goes!"

"Only if you remember me."

"Oh I will," Lauren tapped the side of her head. "I don't ever forget things like this." This caused Val to chuckle.

"Whatever you say, Lauren. See you next week!"

"So, how did it go?" Violet asked as soon as Val had buckled her seat belt. Safety first.

"It went fantastic. Shelby greeted me, like always, but today she said 'happy birthday' to me. We had a little conversation of my day and I went to the back, where I was surrounded by more 'happy birthdays'. Kim and I were cleaning out the cages and we talked. We kept getting sidetracked so Jordan had to keep telling us to get back to work." Val giggled at the memory. "Then Kim noticed my necklace and said that she hadn't see it before, so she assumed it was new. I told her I got it this morning in my locker. Then I told her about the note-"

"Wait, hold up a minute." Violet held up her hand, as if to stop Val from saying anything else. "You got a new necklace this morning and a note? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I guess the thought never came to mind on the way to the shelter. Anyways, I told her about the note and she wanted to read it so I-"

"Next time we come to a red light, you have to show me the necklace."

"It's been around my neck all day. Why didn't you see it earlier?"

"Hello? I'm driving and I can't take my eyes off the road unless I've stopped."

"Well, sor-ree. I'll show you the necklace later. Anyways, she wanted to read the note so I let her read it and she really wanted to know who it was from and-"

"Where's the note now?"

"In my pocket."

"Can you read it now?" Val sighed as she made an awkward position to get the note from her back pocket. She unfolded the note and began reading.

After what seemed like forever because Violet kept interrupting with her own comments, Violet squealed as she became the ultimate fan girl. She was pretty sure who it was from, as she had glanced at a necklace that was around Parker's neck that was very similar to Val's. She had wondered who had the other half but barely gave any thought as she realized that her little sister had, indeed, the other half. She squealed even more when they came to a red light and Val showed her the necklace. It said 'his gal' on the front and she had no doubt that Parker's had something along the lines of 'her guy'. Val turned it around and there was 'V.W.', which she assumed were her initials, Valerie Wishart. If this was the case, she thought that Parker would have his initials on the back of his necklace. "He even took the effort to have it personalized! That is so cute!" Violet gushed. Val only rolled her eyes. She had heard that tone of voice too many times that day.

The remainder of the car ride consisted of Val finally explaining her day at the animal rescue and Violet making small comments here and there. Before long, they had made it to the Wishart residence. Val was ready to share her birthday with all her friends, minus Parker, who was sick, thanks to her (or so she thought). Violet was ready to see Val get the performance of a lifetime and finally get together with the guy she's been crushing on for nearly 2 years. They made their way to the porch. Violet unlocked the front door and turned the knob….

* * *

 _Wow! I had to do so much research on those kinds of necklaces, mostly the kind of chain they usually have and how much they go for. Jenkins is Dena's actress and Chloe is, in case you didn't know, Val's actress._

 _Next is her birthday and Parker gives the performance of his life!_


	22. Chapter 22: Officially Pal

_Oh my gosh! I'm almost done! I'm finishing chapter 23 now but I also want to finish a Lemonade Mouth story I started last week and a High School Musical story I started a few weeks ago._

 _Descendants 2 is premiering in 2 days and I can't wait! I've been basically talking non stop about it for the last 2 months. My mom and sister are getting pretty tired of me._

 _Good news! My new camera finally works, though editing my videos is a longer processes than my older camera, but I can finally make new videos again!_

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Officially Pal (Thursday afternoon)**

Violet unlocked the front door and turned the knob. They were greeted by 'Surprise! Happy birthday Val!' The birthday girl jumped in shock at the sight of all her friends and some relatives that lived close by. She noticed that not only Parker was missing, but also Skeeter and Finch. Great. Her only guy friends were gone. She caught sight of Liv and smiled. _At least one Rooney came._

Before she knew it, she was engulfed in another round of hugs and 'happy birthdays' from her friends who were there and her relatives that could make it. It took 7 minutes to get to everyone and to thank them for coming. After she was done thanking everyone, Liv came up to her and grabbed her hand. "We have a special treat for the birthday girl. Follow me, everyone!" The blonde pulled the brunette's wrist and Val realized that she was in her backyard. It was fully decorated with lanterns, balloons, and streamers. On one end of the patio was a space that had what looked like a bed sheet being held up by rope over two trees that she enjoyed climbing up on when she was little. On the other end were tables and chairs facing the opposite end. Liv lead her to one of the chairs, the one in the middle on the front row, and told her to sit down. Val obeyed. Liv told her that "the show will start soon" and then ran off into the house without another word.

Not 5 minutes later, Val heard cheering from behind her so she turned her head to see what the commotion was all about. She was shocked to see Skeeter, Finch, Joey, a guy she didn't know, and, to her surprise, Parker. Skeeter was wearing a light grey shirt, black pants, and an unbuttoned black and white striped sweater _(the Logan Mitchell outfit)_. Finch was wearing a white shirt with an unidentified image on the front, ripped black jeans, and an unbuttoned black jacket _(the James Diamond outfit)_. Joey sported a black and white plaid shirt and black pants _(the Carlos Garcia outfit)_. The guy that Val didn't know, who she later found out was Holden, Liv's boyfriend, was wearing a black and white baseball jacket, a white shirt, black jeans, and a grey fedora with a black band _(the same fedora he wears in "Coach a Rooney")._ And Parker wore a grey and white striped tee, a black jacket, and black jeans _(the Kendall Knight outfit)_. While he was passing Val, her heart skipped a beat and then started beating faster. The five guys went up onto the open space in front of Val and took various positions. Parker looked up at her, smiled and winked. She smiled back and blushed, giving him the courage he needed to finish what he started. He took a deep breath and nodded towards the side, where Val saw Liv press a button on what looked like a CD player. Soon, music started playing and the five guys started dancing.

 _Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boy_

 _Have you ever had the feeling you're drawn to someone?  
(Yeah)  
And there isn't anything they could've said or done?  
And everyday I see you on your own  
And I can't believe that you're alone  
But I overheard your girls and this is what they said_

 _Looking for a  
Looking for a  
That you're looking for a boyfriend  
I see that  
Gimme time, you know I'm gonna be there  
Don't be scared to come put your trust in me  
Can't you see all I really want to be  
Is your boyfriend  
Can't fight that  
Knock me down you know I'm coming right back  
I don't care at all what you done before  
All I really want is to be your_

 _Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend_

 _Let me take a little moment to find the right words  
(To find the right words)  
So when I kick it to you it ain't something that you've heard  
(Something that you've heard)  
I don't know what kind of guy that you prefer  
But I know I gotta put myself forwards  
See I think got the kind of love that you deserve  
And I heard_

 _That you're looking for a boyfriend  
I see that  
Give me time, you know I'm gonna be that  
Don't be scared to come put your trust in me  
Can't you see all I really want to be  
Is your boyfriend  
Can't fight that  
Knock me down you know I'm coming right back  
I don't care at all what you done before  
All I really want is to be your_

 _Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend_

Val suddenly realized that the lyrics she just heard were the lyrics she found in her locker that morning. A hand came to her mouth as she also realized that it was Parker who had given her the lyrics, the note, and the necklace. A lone tear escaped her eyes as her dreams were made reality.

 _If you tell me where, I'm waiting here  
Everyday like slum-dog millionaire  
Bigger than the Twilight love affair  
I'll be here  
Girl I swear_

Val gave a giggle when he sang the Twilight lyric. She never really understood why girls her age would have a constant battle between Team Jacob or Team Edward. Personally, she was on Team Ron. Oh wait, wrong movie franchise.

 _Looking for a  
Looking for a  
That you're looking for a boyfriend  
I see that  
Give me time, you know I'm gonna be that  
Don't be scared to come put your trust in me  
Can't you see all I really want to be  
Is your boyfriend  
Can't fight that  
Knock me down you know I'm coming right back  
I don't care at all what you done before  
All I really want is to be your_

 _Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
(Your boyfriend)  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
(All I really want is to be your)  
(Your boyfriend)  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
(Yeah)  
(All I really want is to be your)  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend  
All I really want is to be your_

Cheers and applause erupted around Val as the guys finished the dance. The applause died down as Parker walked up to Val and kneeled in front of her, taking the final step of his plan.

"So, what do you say? Me and you?" Parker sounded hopeful.

Everyone started to lean forward, awaiting Val's response. She just laughed. "I guess some dreams really do come true because this is best birthday present ever!" She wrapped her arms around his neck while he wrapped his around her waist. They both leaned in and shared their second kiss, resulting in squeals from Jessica, Melody, Liv, and Violet. The guys just covered their ears. The kiss lingered for a bit and when they pulled away, they both smiled at each other with their foreheads touching. They pryed apart from each other's embrace when they heard someone clear their throat, both blushing in the process.

Someone broke the sudden silence in the yard with "Who wants cake?"

The newly created couple took each other's hands and interlocked fingers. They made their way into the kitchen. Parker leaned to his side so his lips were next to Val's ear. She could feel his hot breath. "We'll finish this later." Val bit her lip, wondering what he meant by that. "Happy birthday, Val."

* * *

 _The outfits Joey, Parker, Skeeter, and Finch wear are the outfits BTR wears in their "Boyfriend" music video._

 _Yay! They are finally official!_

 _I'm sorry if I offended any Twilight or Harry Potter fans out there. I just wanted to set the record straight that I was never a fan of either and girls around me in middle and high school would either be Team Edward or Team Jacob, and I was in the corner with my Agatha Christie mysteries._

 _The last chapter is next! I'm hoping to get it to you guys by the end of this month! Happy reading!_


	23. Chapter 23: Meant to Be

_Wow! 4 months and 88 pages on my GoogleDoc later, I have finally finished this story! Just as I promised, I'm publishing it by the end of the month (July)._

 _I'm bringing it back to kaydeeshay's story by incorporating Val and Parker's Match-o-Meter result as the title of the chapter. Not only that but I've added part of a story that I originally wanted to do with Pal but never came around to writing it so that story is kind of intertwined with this one. I've also incorporated an idea from a Lomille story called "Meant To Be" and it's by happygirl57. Perhaps you can identify which part of the story I got the idea from._

 _Without further ado, here's my FINAL chapter of my "Boyfriend" Pal story! Thanks everyone for reviewing and reading! I hope to publish 2 High School Musical stories, a Lemonade Mouth story, and a Big Time Rush story as soon as I can! Hopefully, I can publish them next month before school starts._

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Meant to Be (Saturday, one year later)**

It was Val's 18th birthday. It was also hers and Parker's one year anniversary. One year ago, they became boyfriend-girlfriend. Her mind wandered to that fateful day. She looked down at his senior ring, which she was now sporting on her left ring finger. He had given it to her on Valentine's Day that year, proclaiming her to be his, and no one else's.

She had requested that she'd spend the day with Parker so she had a family celebration the day before. Violet had taken the day off from work to spend it with her sister but had to work extra the day after. Her father faced the same dilemma. Her mother, since she's a stay at home mom, decided to use the day to her advantage so she booked an all day shopping spree and spa day with her friends and her sister. As for the boys, they would spend the weekend with their grandparents, who were more than happy to take care of 3 teenage boys for a night.

Val had woken up to a "good morning beautiful" text from Parker. She smiled at her phone. She sent "good morning Parker. See you soon!" She ended the text with a heart. She put her phone down with a large smile on her face. She pulled over her covers and practically jumped out of bed. She skipped to the bathroom to take a shower. When she got out, she sang along to Colbie's voice while she was brushing her hair. _I've been awake for a while now. You've got me feelin' like a child now. 'Cause every time I see your bubbly face. I get the tingles in a silly place. It starts in my toes, and I crinkle my nose. Wherever it goes I always know. That you make me smile, please, stay for a while now. Just take your time wherever you go._

A smile grew on Violet's still groggy face when she heard her sister sing about love. She was happy that her and Parker were _finally_ together and going strong. She really hoped that they would last. She was rooting for Pal since the beginning. She waited a few more moments before knocking three times, silently indicating that she needed to use the bathroom. She heard a "just a minute" from the other side.

Val stopped her music after she heard the three knocks. She finished brushing her hair before taking a look in the mirror. She had a good feeling about that day. She took a breath before opening the door to see her sister rub her eyes. "All yours," she exclaimed excitedly. Violet yawned and held up her hand in thanks.

Val practically skipped back to her room to change, the giant grin still plastered on her face. "Now, what should I wear today?" She asked herself as she opened her closet door. She rummaged through her closet to find something special she could wear that day. Ever since she had known that she had liked Parker, she made it a personal mission each day to look her best. Now that they were an official couple, finally, she didn't need to look her best but she still wanted to impress him. Her eyes finally made it to her favorite blue sweater. She remembered Parker saying how much he loved her in blue. It went well with his favorite color, green. She gently slid it off the hanger before finding a shirt to go under it. When she did find a shirt, she laid both the shirt and sweater on her bed then went to go find jeans. Soon, she had changed. She found a headband to put through her hair. She clasped her 'his gal' necklace around her neck and slid Parker's class ring on her finger, admiring how it glistened in the early morning sun. Taking one last look at herself in the mirror, she sighed heavily and made her way downstairs for breakfast.

"Happy birthday, sweetie!" Her mom engulfed her in a giant hug. Her dad and Violet had followed suit, but they were going to leave for work soon. The boys hadn't left yet but her mom was going to take them later in the morning before she was meeting her friends and her sister.

"Thanks mom!" She accepted the plate of pancakes and bacon from her mom's hand after her hug with Violet.

"You're welcome, Val." She gave her a warm smile before hugging her husband. "See you tonight, honey."

"Love you, baby." He kissed her cheek then kissed both of his daughter's foreheads before grabbing his briefcase and heading out the door.

"I better go too." Violet stood up and hugged her mom and sister. She leaned forward near Val's ear. "Don't do something you would regret," she warned. Val lifted an eyebrow. Knowing Parker, he wouldn't do anything she wasn't comfortable with, and she was thankful for that. Instead, she nodded and Violet gave an approving smirk before grabbing her purse and heading out.

When it was just Val and her mom, the boys were still asleep, they turned to each other. Mrs Wishart sat down across from her daughter. "What time is Parker coming over?"

"He said last night that he'll be here at around 10." Mrs Wishart looked at the wall clock in the kitchen. 8:30am.

"Well, he won't be here for another hour and a half, I should get the boys up and ready to go to grandma's and grandpa's." Val nodded, finishing her pancakes as the older woman stood up and headed upstairs. Val's eyes followed to her mother. What did she do to deserve a mother like her? She seemed very carefree and laid-back, one would think that she was Val's aunt or something. She was very accepting when Val and Parker started becoming official, she often called Parker "sweetie," like he was her own son, whenever he came over.

Val's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a loud knock on the front door, scaring herself in the process. She looked at the wall clock. 8:45am. Sighing, she got up from the kitchen table and walked over to the front door. She opened it, surprised to see Parker on the other side. "Hey Val! Sorry I'm early but I couldn't wait to see you! Happy birthday, babe!" He stepped forward to embrace his girlfriend of one year and kiss her lips. _Girlfriend, has a nice ring to it._

"Aww. Thanks Parker. My mom and brother are upstairs but they should be gone soon." Parker felt a little embarrassed that they weren't alone...yet. He was still getting used to the whole boyfriend-girlfriend thing and they only exchanged the kisses in private moments. Val took her boyfriend's hand and gently pulled him inside. _Boyfriend, has a nice ring to it._

"Parker! I thought I heard a knock on the door." The high school seniors looked up to see Mrs Wishart making her way downstairs. "The boys are just getting up and we'll be gone before you know it!" She winked at Parker, who turned a light shade of pink. Val rolled her eyes before grabbing her boyfriend's hand and dragging him to the family room. She sat down on the couch and he sat next to her and put his arm around her. She sank into his embrace and linked their fingers together, like cute couples do.

"So any plans for today?" Parker asked her. She shook her head.

"Not really. Dad and Vi are at work. Mom is going out with her friends all day after she drops Vance, Vincent, and Victor at our grandparent's house. So we basically have the whole day to ourselves. Maybe we can watch a movie, take a walk… What else to other couples do?"

"Never mind what other couples do. We'll do what you want to do, birthday girl."

"Can we just do this? This feels nice." _(This idea was taken from chapter 2 of "Descendants Couples" by Jellyfish3012)._ Parker nodded at his girlfriend's request and pulled her closer as she laid her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that until they saw 3 boys a little shorter than Val being herded by a taller woman. Val got up out of Parker's embrace to say 'goodbye' to her brothers and that she'll see them the next day and to hug her mother and tell her to have fun with her friends and Aunt Victoria. When she closed the door and heard the sound of a car engine, she smiled and turned to her boyfriend. "Finally! Just the two of us with no one to interrupt us!" She walked back to the couch and sat down next to Parker, who put his arm back around her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

"Happy birthday, baby." He said, his voice low and quiet. He dug a hand into one of his pockets to bring out a small purple box.

"Oh, Parker. You didn't have to get me anything." She started unwrapping the gift.

"I know but I wanted to. I wanted to let you know how much I love you."

"You're too sweet." She removed the top and gasped. "Oh, it's beautiful." She took out the charm bracelet and admired the charms. There was a beaker, a V, a P, a heart, a red circle (he had told her that the red circle was supposed to be Mars), and a California state. He took the bracelet from her fingers and clasped it around her wrist. He kissed the inside of her wrist, where the metal touched her skin. "Perfect."

"Funny. I was just going to say the same thing." This made Val blush as he leaned forward to kiss her all over her face before connecting his lips with hers. She gladly returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. His arms made it around her waist, pulling her closer. It was times like these when he was grateful that they were alone and no one was around to interrupt them. These times were rare but Violet or Liv would always somehow make an appearance and squeal at the love their younger siblings had for each other. Both teens would turn red at these times.

They parted in the need for air and both grinned from ear to ear. She sank into his shoulder and sighed contently. He wrapped his arm around her protectively and started rubbing circles on her arm. She felt chills up her arm at the contact. They looked at each other and one could tell that they were in love. Parker smiled and Val smiled back. He admitted, "this was totally worth the wait." _(This is what Holden says to Liv in "Coach a Rooney" when they have their "first date do over")._ Val nodded before their lips connected once again. Val had always liked their kisses, with the exception of their really quick first kiss last year. It was mostly sweet and innocent, but sometimes it was passionate and hot. During their movie nights, they would steal kisses from each other. At times when they were alone, their kisses would be more on the passionate side. Sometimes, she would climb on top of him for a better angle, not that he minded. It was times like these when he wanted to know what she looked like without any clothes on but he knew that she wasn't ready. Instead, he shook his head at the thought and drank in the passion his girlfriend put in the kiss. Her fingers wove through the ends of his hair, playing with the longer strands. His fingers interlocked with each other around her waist as he pulled her closer.

They pulled apart to catch their breaths. "Now that we got the make out out of the way, how about a movie?" Val turned to grab the TV remote off the coffee table in front of them but Parker pulled her back to the couch. "What?" she asked. He answered by kissing her neck. "Oh!" She was caught off guard as she lifted her chin to make it easier for him. She barely suppressed a moan. He had never done anything like that to her. What were his intentions that day? She didn't know as her mind was slowly melting at the contact. "Parker," she whispered.

He started kissing up her jawline and was almost at her lips when he crawled forward onto her and told her, "I wasn't done yet." She gulped at the sound of his voice. It was low and seductive. She couldn't help it but her heart was beating out of her chest as she leaned back into the couch. She now knew what he wanted, but she wasn't ready. She let him kiss her lips and tried to kiss him back with as much passion, but she didn't feel the urge to return it. His hands started outlining her body and she swallowed a hard lump in her throat. He must have noticed her nervousness because he stopped kissing her and looked at her with worried eyes. "What's the matter, baby?" A tear started escaping her eyes.

"I...I'm just not ready." More tears. "I'm so sorry, Parker. I know what you wanted but I'm not ready yet." She hunched over and buried her head in her hands. She started sobbing. He got up from his seat on the couch and knelt in front of her.

"Hey, hey." He whispered. "It's okay. I'm sorry for forcing you. I don't ever want to think I'm forcing you to do something you don't want to do. If you feel uncomfortable, just tell me and I'll back off. No harm done."

"Oh, Parker." She wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. He returned the gesture by wrapping his arms around her waist, his face in her long brown hair. She sniffed. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"That's a question I ask myself every day." This made Val blush a little bit. He pulled back to see her face. "You okay now?" She nodded and sniffed again. He got up and left but returned a few moments later with a tissue. He handed it to her and she gladly took it.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She wiped her nose with the tissue and sighed. She looked at him, who was by her side on the couch again. "Thanks Parker."

"I meant what I said last year, that day you were sick." He took her hands in his. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you." Val blushed at the sincerity in his voice. She then laughed at the memory. "What's so funny?"

"It's just the day we had our first kiss. Though, it was more of a peck than a kiss. Then you ran away afterwards. I still don't know what that was about."

"I didn't know what came over me. You looked so beautiful that I couldn't not kiss you." She blushed some more and looked down. He used two fingers to lift her chin up. "There's no need to feel ashamed or embarrassed. You are so beautiful." Val smiled at his words. He brought her face up to his and kissed her, though this one was more sweet and innocent. He had each hand on either side of her face, making sure he had her full attention and was listening to each of his words. "I love you. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't. And for the record, I love you too. Always remember that I love you." Her fingers made it to her necklace. "'His gal'." He reached for his necklace.

"'Her guy'." They brought their heart halves closer together.

"Together." Their necklaces were inches apart.

"Forever." The heart became whole.

"We're Pal." They said in sync. She leaned back into him as he wrapped his arm around her.

Then to her surprise, he started singing in her ear.

 _You're my someone who is lovely_  
 _You are wonderful and true_

Val decided to sing.

 _You're the boy who makes me smile even when I'm feeling blue_

Parker smiled as he joined into his girlfriend's voice.

 _I'm so lucky that I found you,_  
 _most definitely_

Val was silent as she listened to Parker's voice.

 _Oh yeah_

Val took the next lines.

 _Not a phony or a fake  
Sweeter than a chocolate shake_

Both sang the chorus.

 _My meant to be  
'Cause when it's meant to be,  
You go kinda crazy  
Meant to be  
You forget your own name  
When it's meant to be,  
It's destiny callin'  
Nothing ever will be the same_

Parker lifted his girlfriend's chin as he sang.

 _Our eyes meet so sweet  
And I couldn't ask for more_

Val blushed and eyed their interlocking fingers. It was her turn to sing.

 _This is real  
The way I feel  
There's something I've never felt before_

Parker joined her. She laid her head on his shoulder.

 _When it's meant to be,  
The stars seem to glisten  
Meant to be  
All the clouds depart  
When it's meant to be  
It's destiny callin'  
And if you listen,  
You'll find your heart_

He kissed the top of her head as he opened his sweatshirt, revealing a disc. Val lifted an eyebrow, wondering what was on it. He left her side to put the disc in the DVD slot below the TV. He picked up the remote and pressed 'play'. A lone tear escaped her eyes as she heard a familiar theme song. He recorded the entire series of 'Bits 'n Pieces.' That was why she loved him. They were simply meant to be.

* * *

 _Tada! There you go! The song is "Meant to Be" and it's the version from Teen Beach Movie 2_

 _Thanks everyone for coming on this journey and I hope you've enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought of it now that the story is done. What was your favorite part?_


End file.
